


Huigin Academy of Magic

by min96



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Lots of OCs - Freeform, New School, No Romance, Other, Smart Harry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-05-21 09:30:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14912826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/min96/pseuds/min96
Summary: Harry gets an invitation to a different school before he revives his Hogwarts letter. (Follows Harry at his new school until the Triwizard Tournament.) Summery will be updated! (Editing and Hiatus in progress.)





	1. An Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Harry Potter or any character or idea you have seen else where.  
> Anything you haven't is mine and I would appreciate credit if you choose to use it. 
> 
> Note, I am not American, I don't use American English. As AO3 and Google do, there may be some odd spelling in my writing. If you notice it and it's distracting then tell me so and I will try to fix it.
> 
> A preemptive apology is in order I think. I have struggled as I write this to maintain an cohesive timeline, as such this has not and will not be updated until I reach a point that will allow for an internal timeline to be established. At this point I will need to edit parts of what is posted and re-post it to restore something approaching a realistic timeline.

## Baby on a Doorstep

#### 1/11/1981

03.00 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry, England

The Appearance of a cat was not a strange one on Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry. The local felines spent most nights patrolling the fence lines for mice, rats and other small rodents. The Tabby cat that leapt to sit under the street sign on the red brick wall however was not one of the local pets. The rather stiff feline sat primly, well positioned to oversee the entire street.

When the stranger stilled the streets nocturnal inhabitants returned to their nightly habits, content to ignore the intruder for now.

As dawn approached, the statuesque tabby still in place the rest of the street began to wake. The Milkman trundled his way down the street, only blinking at the tabby, his eyes gritty after a long night caring for his ill son, the eight year old having woken the household up when he rushed to the bathroom just before midnight. The paper boy zipped past on his bike, not even spearing a glance to the scowling feline. She had nearly been knocked of the wall when he careened around the corner.

As street lights flickered out and the earliest risers softly shut their doors softly nodding to each other as they picked up their milk, gathering the dewy paper from lawns, bushes and pathways.

The Tabby stiffened again as a stick thin woman steeped out of no. 4. Her thin robe clenched tight around her she sneered at her neighbours yards as she crouched to pick up her milk. A child’s wail caused the woman to turn around and shuffle inside once more. The door clicked shut behind her and the child soon stopped wailing.

As more of the street rose to the brightening morning the sounds of suburbia filled the air. Buzzing televisions, music and talk shows on the radio, the occasional news report. The Tabby shook its head as reports of unusual owl sightings and firework displays drifted to her from an open window. Shrieking children and yells filled the air as those older found their spoils from the previous night.

The Tabby continued her vigil as a man as large as his wife was thin stepped from no.4, lending his own car to the symphony of engines turning over for the first time that morning and shifting down the road to join the lines of others in their morning commute. This man was one of the few that noticed the unusual behaviour of the Tabby. By now the cat was sitting on a map and glancing between it and the street sign. The man took a second glance and shook it off, his wife had felt of the night before and they had talked about her freak of a sister and her doubly freakish husband.

As the morning passed into afternoon the Lady of no.4 stepped out with her ballooning son. The boy swayed worryingly as he walked, kicking at his mother as he demanded sweets in the limited vocabulary of a toddler, though this one seemed to know more words for sweets than most. Though he struggled with numbers, stopping to glare at the ground when asked how many sweets he wanted.

The tabby took the opportunity to slip into the garden of no.3 and the shadow of the garden wall. Mother and son returned as the sun peaked in the sky and the house once more filled with the sounds of a young family.

As the sun sank once more to toward the tops of the houses the large man waddled into the house, his return was not a joyous one he had had a very strange day.

The sun set and the street slipped into the almost silence of any residential area.

The night deepened and the cat jumped to sit on the wall she had spent the afternoon below. As the moon rose as the sun had the cat stiffened. By the time a man appeared with a crack she was once more as stiff as stone and staring at the street sign.

The man pulled out a lighter and flicked it open. The street darkened as the lights shot towards the lighter. When the houses were only lit by the moon and stars he glanced to the tabby, his half-moon glasses glinting in the dim light while the rest of his face fell into the shadow of his hat. He raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly at the feline who scowled back and leapt of the wall. Instead of a cat a woman landed in a half crouch and rose to her full height. Straitening her black robes and tall hat as she did so.

“Minerva.” The man huffed. The woman scowled back.

“How did you know?” She almost hissed.

“I have never seen a cat sit so stiffly.” He turned to look up at the sky.

“Is it true?” He raised an eyebrow. “The Potters, James and Lilly are they really…?” The man sighed.

“I am afraid so my dear, may I ask how you came to be here of all places on this fine night?” she looked away.

“I heard Hagrid wailing when I came to the castle for some of the work I had forgotten, are you really going to leave him with these…” She waved a hand at no.4.

“They are the only family he has left.” She scoffed.

“He has a godfather, and a godmother for that matter, you can’t leave him with these… muggles, their absolute the worst sort.” She spat at him.

“Sirius is running from the Aurors and Alice and Frank were attacked this evening by the Lestranges and Barty Crouch Junior.” She gasped.

“Are they… Neville?”

“Neither Alice nor Frank will ever recover, but Little Neville is fine, with his Grandmother I believe.” She almost sobbed and her shoulders shook.

“I…” The rumble of an engine disturbed the pair and a dark shape soared over the houses. A motorcycle thumped to a landing on the road and pulled to a stop in front of the two now silent mages.

“Hagrid.” The tallest of the pair greeted.

“Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor.”  The large shape on the bike shifted and stood. Cradled in arms as thick as tree branches was a bundle of blankets. “Got him here I do, fell asleep over Bristol.” He glanced to the houses. “Are you sure this is the best place?” He glanced to Dumbledore.

The man nodded and reached to take the baby from his arms. “Give me a minute to say goodbye would you?” Dumbledore let his arms fall and the giant of a man blubbered as he stared at the boy in his arms. He brushed a wiry kiss to the boy’s forehead and passed him to the smaller man. Hagrid wailed as the headmaster turned away. Minerva rushed to comfort the balling man.

Dumbledore placed the child not yet out of infancy onto the front step of no. 4 and stood tall once more, a few waves of his wand and the air around the child rippled slighting. “Notice-me-not, tracking, sleeping…ah yes.” Another wand twitch. “Heating.” He stepped away and bowed his head. “I am sorry my dear boy but this is for the best.”

The child slept on, innocent of an old man’s guilt. Turning away he walked over to Minerva who was still comforting Hagrid. “Why don’t you head back to the castle, have a drink and a sleep, it has been a late night.” The large man sniffled one more and nodded.

“G’dbye Harry.” He sobbed one last time and shuffled over to the buke he had arrived on. Minerva scowled at Dumbledore.

“I still think this is a poor idea, he will be famous, every child will know his name and yet he will be…” She waved a hand at the silent street. Dumbledore smiled.

“Exactly why he must remain here, away from the fame and adoration. He will be safest here, with his family.” Minerva sighed and glanced longingly at no.4.

“Alright, but on your head be it.” She turned and disappeared. Dumbledore sighed.

“On my head be it.” He pulled out the silver lighter and returned light to the street before leaving the same way he arrived.

* * *

## Life at Privet Drive

#### 2/7/1987

06.00 no. 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surry, England

The sound of a fist pounding on his door woke the child sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. The shrill cries of a woman had him reaching for his glasses.

Harry, the boy reminded himself, he had a name and it was Harry. He wasn’t going to forget it over the summer when he didn’t have a teacher to remind him, he had done that over his first summer away from school and had been punished for not responding to his teacher on the first day of class. Harry Potter pulled himself into a crouch and acknowledged his aunts calls. The latch on the outside of the door clicked as it was shoved into the open position. The door swung open to reveal a thin face pinched in disgust, something Harry could only just see through the sudden influx of light.

The woman stood and marched down the hall, Harry stood and followed. A wave of an arm to indicate the bacon, sausage, eggs, bread, and butter sat waiting for him. With a nod Boy, no he was Harry, began to make his family breakfast. Harry finished up as he recited the alphabet and counted as far as he could in his head, silently singing the songs they had sung at Kindergarten that year. He didn’t want to disappoint his teacher. Though he had known how to read before the class started learning the two years before he hadn’t known the alphabet. That images made up of smaller pictures meant something. Well he had learnt what the lists meant quickly. Less interaction with his aunt meant less time in pain.

The food, plated up and ready, was placed onto the table one serving at a time until two plates, piled high with greasy meat, heavily buttered bread and cheesy scrambled eggs sat with one that was mostly empty, only two pieces of toast and a poached egg with salt and relish sat on his aunts plate. A nod and the boy turned away to start cleaning. As he filled the sink thumping on the stairs made him wince, his things would be covered in dust and the spiders will have moved.

Two males waddled into the room, the thin female following behind. The three sat and started shovelling food into their mouths, well the father and son pair of rotund examples of humans did. The stick like woman ate slowly and methodically. Harry had finished the breakfast dishes as three plates were dumped by his elbow. “Clean up and finish the list on the bench.” A wave to a piece of paper sitting next a plate holding a single slice of plane toast and a glass of water.

“Yes Aunt Petunia.” The woman left the room, Harry could hear her heaping praise onto her son in the living room. Harry went back to the dirty dishes. He knew he would have to do the garden today, and wash the windows, the laundry needed to be done, and there was a pile of leaves to be swept and put in the rubbish. With a sigh he took a bit out of the toast and started to work on the drying, this would be a long day. Oh and tonight was a roast, no dinner, and the Dursleys were going out, no lunch either. Joy.


	2. Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been edited, more added to A professor Arrives.  
> Dates and ages changed a little, Harry is 8 not 6.

## An Unexpected Letter - 20/7/1988

The clink of the mail slot and thud of letters hitting the door mat caused the Breakfast table at Privet drive pause.

“Boy, fetch the mail!” The largest of those seated yells into the attached kitchen. A mop of black hair disappears over the Kitchen Island and the skinny body it’s attached to appear into view of the family of three.

“Yes Uncle Vernon.” Wet patches on the boy’s ill-fitting clothes reveal him to have been doing the dishes. A trail of suds streaked up one arm. Wiping the last of the soapy water on his shirt the child blurs into the hall. The boy soon returns and the letters are place beside Vernon’s plate.

“More coffee.”

“Yes Uncle Vernon.” As the boy slips back into the kitchen the walrus of a man flips through the pile.

“Bill, Bill, Marge;” The cards was turned in the man’s hand. “She’s invited us over for the weekend.” The boy returns with the requested drink. “Bill, Ah, Dudley’s been invited to the Smelting’s Holiday program. The Freak too.” A scowl and a smirk fought for space on his face as he glanced between the boy and his own son.

“Of course our Dudley was accepted.” His wife smiled at their son. Thin lips thinning further. “The boy will not be going.” Her lips disappeared as she looked at her nephew.

“Hmph.” The man glared at the boy. A glance at the final letter brought a frown. “Pet…” He handed the thick paper envelope over to his wife. “Isn’t it too early?”

The woman frowned and opened the letter. Her frown deepened before blanking. “For them yes.” She handed the paper back.

_Hugin Academy of Mystic Arts_

_Headmistress: Runa Nasidottir; Priestess of the Blood and Vatican accredited Extortionist._

_Dear Mr Harold Hyperion Potter_

_We would like to extend an invitation to attend the Hugin Academy of Mystic Arts (HAMA) this coming Academic year. You are being offered a place in one of three of our academic paths. Completing your chosen path would award you with a Mastery in that field. Each Path lasts nine years and includes a chance at Apprenticeship with a member of our alumni or staff._

_The Academy acts as a boarding school and we offer year round boarding to all students who may require such._

_Scholarship information has been supplied._

_Please fill in the form attached to accept or refuse your place within 48hrs of opening this letter._

_Kind regards and wishing you well._

_Head of Junior Years_

_Saturio Aporius: Sgt of the 2 nd Holy Legion_

Vernon set the page down and took the next few sheets of paper. The top sheet explained the scholarships and eligibility. The second was the acceptance sheets and contained the paths the boy was eligible for. A third sheet contained an explanation of the various paths.

Looking over the first once more Vernon quickly sussed out the boy was eligible to apply for financial and academic scholarships. A raised eyebrow was lowered as he looked through the paths. Locating the three the Boy could choose from.

Creation; why anyone would want to create tools for such freakiness, though the weapons sounded dangerous.

Warrior; learning offensive and defensive magic, more weapons and Magical Beasts. No way was he going to let the boy learn such things. Who knew what he would do to his family.

Blood Magic; oh god. Necromancy, Blood Contracts, Summoning? Freaks could do that? It had to be illegal. Even they wouldn’t…

Petunia had sent the Boy to the yard to pull weeds and Dudley into the TV room before shutting the door. “I think this could be a good thing.”

“What!?” He stood suddenly. “How!?”

“He would be gone. For good. And he wouldn’t be allowed back into Britton. She mentioned Necromancy as a banned art here.” She sat and nodded decisively. “No more Freaks. No more Boy. Gone Vernon. Forever.” He frowned and sat down.

“Maybe Pet, but the cost?” She rolled her eyes.

“The Bastard Potter wasn’t poor. The money can come from there.” He almost growled.

“And the money we get?” He slumped back. “£6 000 pounds a year, for 9 years. £54 000 pounds isn’t a small sum. If he doesn’t go well, 2 more years of £6 000 and 6 of £2 000. £24 000, we wouldn’t get.”  She laughed.

“They won’t know his left. £12 000 for the next two years. Without the boy have to spend it on.”

“You might be right Pet.”

“Know what’s better?” He glanced at her. “The old bastard is the one paying.” He raised an eyebrow. “The bank statements, the money comes from the Dumbledore accounts. Potter didn’t set up payments for us, the will excluded us from guardianship in the first place. The old bastard was probably going to steal the money back when the boy went to That Place.” A vicious grin. “If he goes with these people and claims his accounts before That Man can…” Vernon grinned back.

“Right, help me fill this out.” He passed over the first sheet of the scholarship forms. “The boy can do the test for the Academic tonight. Not that he will get it of course, though thy may have lower standards, being Freaks…” A glance at the Acceptance form had him yelling out the back door.

“Boy!” A dark head rose from the garden bed nearest to the back fence. Brushing the dirt of his hands and knees the boy ran to face him.

“Yes Uncle Vernon?” Green eyes peered out of the glasses the boy’s teacher had forced his wife to find for her nephew.

“Go sit at the table.” Wide eyed the boy did. Sitting gingerly on the most battered of the wooden chairs. Vernon left to sit with Dudley in the next room.

“Harry.” The boy’s eyes widened further. His aunt had used his name… well never… when talking to him. “You’ve been invited to attend a school overseas. As it’s an all-year boarding school, and the scholarship will pay for the transport as well as other things you will be attending.” She pushed the Acceptance page to the boy. “Fill this out. Pick a path thingy and sign here.” She scratched a cross on a line and passed both pen and paper to Harry.

“Aunt Petunia?” The boy glanced wide eyed between the paper and his aunt a moment later after managing to read the first few lines.

The woman scowled. “Your parents were freaks, just like you. They went to a freak school to. Sign it.” Harry did. He ticked the box for Blood Magic. It seemed the broadest. He had wanted to be a doctor but maybe he wasn’t supposed to be?

“Here Aunt Petunia.” He handed the paper back.

“Fill this out.” He was given a set of papers with numbers, letters and shapes filling the page. He answered the questions as best he knew how and handed the paper back when he finished the last page. The paper was stacked together with the papers Petunia had been working through. Once the stack was sitting on the table away from the two of them the paper flashed and vanished. With a nod she sent him outside once again. One last call rang behind him. “You will be packed to leave in four days. You will leave with the professor that arrives then.” He nodded and went back to weeding.

He was going to a school for magic. His head rose slightly.

He was magic, like his parents. His parents were magic.

He wouldn’t have to live with the Dursleys. He was leaving. No more Dudley, no more Uncle Vernon, no more Aunt Petunia. No Marge, no ripper and no chores. He grinned at the roses he was working around. Then frowned.

He was going away, he wouldn’t be in England any more. What if no one spoke English? Would he have to learn another language? Could he? What about food, what was he supposed to eat? Clothes, was there a uniform? The frown deepened.

He wasn’t sure this was such a good idea after all. With a sigh he went back to the weeds.

He had no say in this, he was going.

 

Petunia watched her Nephew work his way across the garden and allowed herself to mourn. The boy was leaving her, like her sister had. He would find himself rich and find rich friends, he would grow up thinking he was better than her son. That he was worth more than him.

She mourned her sister, the bright, happy, beautiful child that had become a graceful, beautiful, intelligent young woman. The sister that had found happiness with a rich man, had her perfect son, her perfect house.

She let go of her jealousy for a moment, and she hated the boy’s father for getting her little sister killed.

She mourned for her parents, lost in a fire that her sister had raged over. The suspicion that one of Them had lit the blaze had never left her.

She turned away to face her husband. He was not what she had dreamed of as a child, not the man she had wanted as a teen.

They had meet at a café she was working at and he had left her a tip. When he came back the next day and left her another she had started talking to him. They had been married within a year, days after her eightieth birthday.

The struggle to have children had ruled the next five years. When she finally received the news from her doctor she had rushed to tell Lily. Only to find her celebrating her own coming child. A charm later and the younger woman was babbling about their boys being friends. The two could have play dates, Petunia’s son due only a little over a month before Lily’s.

When she had finally made it home she was unsurprised by her husband’s lack lustre reaction. But at least she would have her sister back.

Seven months later she was told, as she held her squalling baby boy she would never have children again. The birth had scared her, she could no longer bare a child. At least she had Dudley.

When, on the first day of August she had found Lily on her doorstep, little Harry in her arms. Already he showed he would have his mother’s eyes, green seeping from under the baby blue she saw in her own sons. The baby had his father’s hair, as dark as soot.

Lily cried as she told her she would be going into hiding. The people who were killing muggles, the people she had heard about on TV, were after her baby. She couldn’t come back. Baby Harry would go to his father’s friends, not her, if the worst was to come to pass.

She got a letter on her birthday, another on Dudley’s. Then there was a baby on her doorstep. A baby she never expected to see. A baby she hated for what he meant.

With his arrival she knew her sister was gone. The last of her family dead and one of the causes was there in her arms.

She hadn’t looked into his eyes if she could help it. Lily stared back at her. Lily’s eyes asking why she had hurt her perfect sister’s son.

She wasn’t happy. Not the way Lily had been. But she was alive, and Harry was leaving.

She could live with that.

She joined her family in the sitting room. She would make do.

* * *

## A Professor Arrives - 25/7/1988

Harold Hyperion Potter pulled the toast from the grill and set it on the table. He had to remember his full name. He was Harold Hyperion Potter. He took his serving back into the kitchen.

The letter bearing his name had brought good things into his life.

He no longer went hungry. He had been taken shopping. He had two sets of clothes that fit and a new blanket.

He had spent the night before in the guest room. His bag was by the door and he was ready for this afternoon. Only eight hours and he would be leaving.

With a sigh he turned back to his food. He had the laundry to do, and the guest room to clean out before he left.

Petunia waved her boys off as Vernon’s car drove down the street. Her husband was taking her boy to a boxing match. While she didn’t approve of the violence it would be good for them to bond.

As she turned to return to the house a polite cough drew her attention to the foot path. She had to blink several times before she could respond to the pair.

“Mrs. Dursley?” The woman smiled as she spoke, a gold bracelet flashed in the light as she pushed her long hair over her shoulder. The young looking woman smiled wider when Petunia nodded. “My name is Caitlyn, this is my colleague, Seóras.” Petunia assessed the two. Aside from a slight inhumanity to the pair they appeared quite normal. The pale blue gaze of the male, Seóras? Made her shiver. At least they were more appropriately attired than the Scottish woman who had brought Lily’s letter.

“Come in.” Petunia waved for the pair to enter as she opened the door wider and stepped into the hall. With a nod they did so. Seóras took Caitlyn’s hat before removing his own. Without the shadows being cast over their faces they appeared less human than before. Eyes a little too large, too slanted, a face too sculpted, to beautiful. Caitlyn’s green eyes, only shades lighter than her sisters, flashed as the younger female glanced over Petunia’s shoulder.

“You must be Harold.” She held out a hand. Palm down, as if expecting the boy to kiss it. When her nephew brushed forwards and did just that, bowing as far as he could from his short height and still reach the offered hand. Caitlyn laughed and Petunia was reminded of her grandmother’s stories. The old Irish woman had spoken of the fair ones, the people of Underhill often. People with laughs like bells.

When the boy turned to the man Seóras offered him a nod. Harold bowed in return. Lower than he had to Caitlyn. “Beag amháin, beannachtaí.” Seóras chuckled. Caitlyn smiled at the two.

“Harold, my name is Caitlyn, this is Seóras.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.” Harold… he couldn’t believe he had such a name, was very glad for the hours spent in the school library reading anything he could. The book on courtesy was coming in handy.

“Why don’t we move this to the sitting room, Harry, why don’t you bring in some tea, the kettle should be done.” Caitlin watches the woman who had led them into her home. She seemed almost brittle.

“That would be lovely.” Caitlin followed Petunia Dursley into her lounge.

“If we could skip the pleasantries, we have had a long day.”

“Busy? With what?” Petunia waves for the pair to sit before taking the chair opposite them.

“Many of the invitations we send out are accepted by those who should not have done so, as such the teachers sent out will review each student before settling the last of the paperwork.” Seóras waits for Caitlin to sit before sitting himself.

“And Harry is one such…” Seóras raises a single arched eyebrow.

“No, his placement is correct.”

“How…?” Petunia glances at the kitchen.

“The paths, there is always one among them that should not be accepted.” Caitlin glances at the photos lining the walls.

“Oh.” Petunia glances away from the scowl Caitlin is now directing at her.

“Now, you expressed an interest in a full time placement.” Seóras pulls a briefcase into his lap.

“Yes, we did not want the boy to begin with, we do not want him now.” Petunia straitens slightly and Caitlin flinches.

Harold places the tea tray on the table between his aunt and the professors.

“Well then, the Academy will take custody of your hands if that is required.” Harold sidles closer to Caitlin.

Petunia nods. Seóras pull out a file and places it on the table. “If you could complete this form we will discus some things with Harold.” The man turns to the boy. “Are you sure you wish to attend?”

“Yes…” Harold trails off.

“You will not be able to leave for Nine years.” Harold looks at the floor.

“I want to be a doctor, I don’t think I…” he glances at his aunt.

“Well you could become a Healer if you take the right classes.” Harold glances to Caitlin.

“Healer?”

“The beginner stage of the medical field for Magicals. You would take healing as an extracurricular, take a few specialised electives and then maybe do an apprenticeship. If you wished to you could apply for a non-magical medical college, take the correct electives and you could become qualified in both worlds.” Harold smile is almost blinding.

“I…” Petunia places her cup on the table in front of her. The tea sloshes into the saucer.

“Why don’t you get your things.” Caitlin and Harold turn to Petunia. With a nod Harold is off up the stairs.

“The boy will not be allowed back into this house, even if he fails at this school of yours.” Seóras nods. “We will pay for nothing, we want no contact.”

“As you are still legally his guardians in the mundane worlds you will receive a letter once a year do with it what you will.”

“How will it fine be delivered?”

“The same way the invitation was.” Petunia nods. Harold appears at the door.

“If you are finished.” Petunia slides the paperwork back to Seóras, Harold’s letters fly in from the kitchen. “We will be on our way.” The man stands and packs away the papers.

“I don’t hate you.” Harold turns to his aunt who is watching the window. “I hate your father for leading my sister to her death, I hate your kind for taking her from me, I hate that you remind me so much of her.” Harold glances at the window as well. “I wish you well but I never want to see you again.” Caitlin pulls Harold away before he has time to process his aunts words.

Seóras takes Harold’s one stuffed bag and holds the door open for Caitlin and the now crying Harold. With a nod to the woman now alone in the house Seóras shuts the door. Caitlin pulls Harold into her arms and steps through the darkening shadows at the side of the house. Seóras follows and the three vanish from Privet Drive.

* * *

 

## A Letters Sent to the Wrong Address

#### 24/7/1991

When Petunia stood to pick up the mail that morning she was expecting a letter from Marge, who had yet to send the usual summer invitation to visit, or maybe a phone bill. The parchment envelope addressed to Mr. H Potter drew a frown before a smirk spread across her face. The thing wouldn’t tear or burn like the paper letters that the boy’s school had sent once a year, so she pulled a pen from the basket on the hall way table and scratched ‘Return to Sender’ on the front. Tossing it on the front step she went back into the kitchen. No point winding Vernon up over the idiocy of the Freaks.

#### 25/7/1991

When three parchment envelopes sat on the pile of letters the next day she rolled her eyes and slapped the return to sender stickers she had picked up the day before on the first in the pile, wrapped them in twine and set them down on the step as she had the day before.

#### 26/7/1991-29/7/1996

Over the next few days Petunia returned a total of 42 letters. When the family finally set of to see her sister in law she was relived, she was running out of twine.

* * *

## Late Arrivals - 31/7/1991

Hagrid glanced between the farmhouse in front of him and the address on the parchment envelope in his hands.

“This ain’t Surry. Wha’ they doin’ out ‘ere” He muttered as he set out to announce his arrival. The yapping of the dogs he could see in the set of cages at the side of the house made him grumpy. “Dog’s ain’t meant to be caged.”

As he raised his hand to knock the door was slammed open and a large man, he was nearly as wide as the half giant, growled at him. “What?”

“Eh, ‘m Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid, ‘m here to speak with Harry.” He shifted to look behind the shorter man. “He’s here, ain’t he?”

Vernon Dursley laughed. “Nope.” The p at the end of the word popped.

“What?” Hagrid stared at the other man.

“He’s been gone for years. Of learning magic somewhere else.” The door was slammed and the laughter continued.

Hagrid knocked and the door shuddered. When the laughter moved further into the house he knocked harder. When the door smashed open Vernon spun to face the giant man in the doorway. “Gone!?” Hagrid thundered.

“Get out!” Vernon thundered back.

“Where!?” Hagrid rumbled as he made to step into the hall.

“No idea, they came and took him didn’t they!” Hagrid stumbled backwards.

“No…” He turned and fled. Dumbledore had to be informed.

“Oi, the door!” Vernon shouted after him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't expect update this fast to last very long, the next chapter is the last of the stuff I've already written some of until Harry gets to the Tri-wizard.

## New Meetings

#### 31/7/1988

Harold sat an fiddled with a piece of fruit toast on his plate. The past five days had been a rush of information. Caitlin had stayed with him at the small cottage they were using as a base while Seóras had gone out each day to visit the other new students, usually returning as they sat down for dinner. None of the other children had joined them at the cottage, however a seventh year had turned up the night before.

Onishi Shosuke had introduced himself as a student of the warrior path. Harold had been shocked to realise the teen had feathers in his hair. Shosuke-sempai, as he had asked to be called, explained “I am Tengu, a crow demon. Or well my grandfather was.” Shosuke-sempai also had long, hard nails and a hooked nose.

“Can you fly?” Harold had been wide eyed as he watched Shosuke-sempai help cook dinner, Caitlin hadn’t let Harold help, he was allowed to help make lunch though.

“Yes Haru-kun, but not in this form.” After dinner Shosuke-sempai had shifted into a large black crow. The crow had glided around the room before landing on the back of Harold’s chair. The boy had laughed as his hear was groomed by the teens long beak.

When the older boy had shifted back Harold had asked about his nickname. “Haru means spring” Shosuke-sempai had shrugged. “and Harorudo-kun is a mouthful. I suppose I could call you Hito, but that might be a bit too much.”

“Hito?”

“Human.” Harold’s head tilted slightly. “I am Tengu, Caitlin-sensei and Seóras-sensei are High Fae.” Harold had turned wide eyes on the pair.

Seóras laughed. “There are only a few humans who attend Huigin. And fewer still who were raised in such a mundane environment.”

“It doesn’t help that some of the students are older because they age slower.” Shosuke-sempai laughed at Harold’s wide eyes. “Caitlin-sensei is a teenager by Fae standards. Only 150yrs old.” Caitlin stuck her tongue out at Shosuke-sempai. “Seóras-sama is old as dirt though.” Harold turned to the Fae.

“There are a few beings that live very long lives, Fae, such as Caitlin and I, Elves and High Angels and Demons are the longest lived. We don’t age once we have hit a certain point and most of us age very slowly up until that point. Vampires and Lower Angels and Demons age very slowly, however only their aging is only just slower than a mortals until they reach adulthood. Other beings, may live for a long time, Goblins for example live to around 300, however they still age perceptibly. A goblin looks older after a decade, A vampire does not. Made vampires are of course a special case, they are weaker than a born vampire, cannot stand sunlight or wield the magics inherent in their born cousins, however they do not age at all, instead they devolve, becoming less a being, and more a creature.”  

Caitlin had explained that Shosuke-sempai was to be Harold’s student mentor. “Given the school now has custody we thought it best to introduce you two now, rather than after you started school.”

“I get to help you work out your class schedule, and help you adjust.” Shosuke-sempai had smirked. “I also get to give you language lessons.”

“Why?” Harold frowned at Caitlin.

“Huigin accepts students from everywhere, that means that there can be language difficulties. All students are given a potion and booklet to begin the process, however given that many potential students have family that also attended the school they have people to practice with. You do not, as a result you will be working with Shosuke to reach some level of fluency before class starts.”

“Will the classes be given in… what is the language called?”

“Huigin. Well, the Huigin Dialect, but every one knows what you mean when you just say Huigin, and yes, though they will hand out lecture notes, transcripts and readings in a range of languages, including English, for first years.” Harold nodded.

“What does the potion do?” Shosuke-sempai grinned.

“It allows for the memorisation of vocab. You take the potion and read the booklet, well dictionary, and it helps you remember the words. It’s not something you can use all that often.” Caitlin nodded along.

“We only use it this once, in language classes we encourage students to use other methods.”

“Haru-kun? You’re up early.” Harold glances over at Shosuke-sempai.

“Morning.”

“Sleep alright?” Harold shook his head. “Overwhelmed?” Harold nods. Shosuke-sempai rustles the younger boys hair. “It’s a lot to take in, especially at your age.” Harold scowls.

“I’m…” He blinks. “8.” Shosuke raises an eyebrow.

“That took a moment.” Harold nods.

“It’s my birthday.” Shosuke freezes.

“Birthday… Tanyoubi, Hru-kun no tanyoubi wa kyou desu ka?” Harold frowns. Shosuke tosses his head. “Your birthday is today?”

“Yeah.” Shosuke watches him with wide eyes. “What?”

“I just, you’re not upset?”

“About what?” Harold lets his toast drop to his plate.

“Not getting presents?” Shosuke starts waving his arms around.

“Why?” Shosuke stops and drops into the chair next to Harold.

“You don’t want presents?”

“I don’t expect any.” Harold frowns. “I don’t normally get any.”

“Well this year you are getting something.” Harold and Shosuke turn to face Caitlin. “Were heading to Gringotts this afternoon, why don’t you walk Harold through choosing his classes?” Shosuke frowns but stands up. As he does so he swipes a piece of fruit toast from the platter Harold had placed on the kitchen table.

“Right, Haru-kun, when your finished, meet me in the dining room.”

* * *

 

Harold sat down next to Shosuke at the dinning room table. Shosuke had spread a pile of books and forms out across the wooden surface.

“Happy birthday Haru-kun.” Harold turns to face Shosuke and ends up with a hastily wrapped package shoved into his face.

“Thanks.” Harold takes the package with wide eyes.

“Open it later, we need to get this done.”

“Oh.” Harold puts the pale grey cloth wrapped present nest to himself and tries to focus on the form shoved in front of him by Shosuke.

“Right, you’re doing Blood Magic, why?”

“It was the only one that mentioned healing.” Shosuke blinks and tilts his head.

“What else were you offered?”

“Warrior and Creation.”

“Three huh, alright then, do you want to take the required three ear sets first?” Harold watched Shosuke with a blank face. “Um here.” Shosuke passed over a thick book.

“This is the class master list. They have copies at the school library so normally you have to get them from there but this is Caitlin’s copy. The first years are generally given a condensed version. It covers only the introductory subjects, stuff you have to take for your course and a basic run through of what each class covers.” Harold took the book. Shosuke leaned over and flipped though to a page near the beginning. “This is the required list for Blood Magic.” Harold ran his eyes down the list.

“This is a lot of classes.” Shosuke rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, Blood Magic is one of the heavier loads. You can get a lot of the required stuff done in your first three years if you want to. You can take up to nine classes a semester, mind you I only took eight, and some of those classes, like the language and history last only one semester each.”

“Nine classes?” Shosuke hums.

“Boarding school. Five lesson periods a day, each 80 minutes long, you start at 9.00 and finish at 5.30.”Shosuke shrugs. “You won’t do as many in the last three years, only two required classes for Blood magic, and you might continue a core like language or history. Take up an elective or something, I’m only taking four classes this semester.”

“Oh.”

“Here, if you do only core classes for three ears you have three slots for electives for years four to six.”

“What about these?” Harold had flicked through to a section on extracurricular electives.

Shosuke ran his eyes over the page. “You do those on weekends, they require a pretty high grade average and don’t leave you a lot of time for study.”

“I can do them in first year right?” Shosuke nods.

“Yeah, but you commit to a minimum of a year worth of classes and you can only take one at a time. They all run on a Saturday afternoon, for four and a half hours.” Harold points out a line mid-way down the page.

“You would start with basic first aid, to get anything out of it you would have to take it for at least three years, minimum.” Harold smiles.

“I want to.” Shosuke shakes his head.

“Right then. If you do all of the required classes and Healing on Saturday then the study group on Sunday.” Harold frowns.

“Study group?”

“Yeah, the mentors get together and run a study group for first years. I have a friend doing Blood magic who has a kid in the Warrior path so we were going to hang out with some other friends who are mentors and just help each other out.” Shosuke winked. “And Sunday morning is quite in the Library anyway.”

“Ok.” Harold looks back at the book.

Shosuke huffs. “Right then, what History class do you want to take?”

“Can I take both?” Shosuke rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, I suppose, Ancient Languages or Latin?”

“What’s the difference?”

“Ancient Languages looks at a bunch of languages simultaneously, working on grammar, writing systems and stuff. You don’t learn to speak the languages so much as read out what’s been written, have an idea what the text says and how to start a translation or identification. Latin teaches basic Latin.”

“And Ancient Languages last for more than one semester?”

“Yeah, each year it builds on what you have and teaches you a little more.”

“But Latin doesn’t?”

“No, they offer a different language each year, well you could actually take them in any order they just start with Latin and work through a whole bunch of language learning tools and tricks that they don’t cover in the other language classes.”

“Ancient Languages then.”

“Right, and Magical Languages for second semester…”

“What are Magical Languages?”

“Well they teach the basics of the ones you can learn to understand like Mermish and the ones you can speak like Gobbledegook but they also cover identification and the theory behind some of the ones you have to be born able to speak like Parsle.”

“Parsle?”

“Oh right. Mermish is spoken by primarily by mermaids but it is used by most aquatic sentients when communicating, Gobbledegook is the Goblins language, and Parsle is spoken by snakes and some reptiles.”

“Snakes can talk?”

“Not any language most sentients can understand, as far as I know, the magic of Parsle grants a form of sentience on a mundane snake allowing for a basic level of communication and there is some level of basic sentience that most magical creatures have and Parsle is the language used by those who are reptilian.”

“Oh.”

“Okay, electives are something most people start taking in fourth year, all courses have a basic three year set that you can take if you want to do a bit more than a rough introduction. It’s recommended that you do at least one class from the Physical education and the Muggle or Social Studies departments. I did a Social studies class in fourth year and kept it up through fifth and sixth. I also picked up Cast and Elemental Magic for a bit more breadth.” Shosuke pulled out a set of flyers. “These are the Muggle studies and Social Studies class lists. Physical education is just fitness for first years, they have a self-defence class second semester second semester second and third year and an Outdoor Education class first semester third year, after that it does in to Martial Arts.”

“Can I take two Muggle Studies classes?”

“Yeah, which ones?”

“Physiology and Biology.”

“Um, do Physiology years four to six and Biology years seven to nine.”

“OK. Can I do PE in forth year too?”

“If you give up two Herbology, Zoology or Crafting at the end of third year yeah.”

“Herbology and Zoology.”

“Right. Do you want to switch from Focus crafting to something else?”

“Weapons, then I can take the Weapons class in seventh year.”

“Alright then.” Shosuke finished filling out a form. “Sign here, you can change your classes up to a week before the start of semester, any semester. Drop a course in mid-year is you want, that’s all fine.”

Harold signs and the page disappears.

“Right we wait a few minutes and we get a rough schedule. They might shift some things around depending on how every one picks there classes.” Shosuke turned to his own class form. “I’m not changing a lot, but I tested out of the Language courses over summer and I want to drop History and take something else, you know Physiology sounds like a good Idea to study for a year or two.”

Shosuke’s form disappeared and the pair waited. “Ah.” A set of pages appear in front of Harold. Glancing at the top page Harold paled slightly.  

“Right, tops your schedule and class list, the next few will be an equipment list and if you’re lucky…” Shosuke spreads the pile out. “Here, scholarship slips.” He points to a set of pages that all had coloured tags at the bottom. “You show those to a merchant at the shopping strip that Huigin uses and they charge the schools relevant account. They take the tag associated with what your purchasing and you keep the rest.” He glances at the pages. “Academic and Custody?”

“The school was given custody when Harold’s relatives decided they didn’t want him back.” Caitlin answers from the door way. “And I hope your done, we have a bank to get too, I thought you would enjoy lunch in London as a birthday gift.” Harold lit up.

“Cool, I might stay here, I have to fill out some things.” Shosuke waved to the pile of forms that appeared in front of him.

“Right, Harold bring the lists with you and we can work out what you can get here once we finish with the Bank.” Harold stood up and brought his pile of papers and present with him.

“Which Bank?”

“Let me see your list.” Harold handed over his bundle of papers. “Gringotts, it’s the one used by the magical community in Brittan, oh you’re in my class!” Caitlin smiled and Harold glanced away. He liked the young Fae, she was kind and had bought him new clothes the first day he had been away from the Dursley’s. She had also let him eat as much as he wanted and didn’t ask him to do anything, she even thanked him when he did the dishes or tried to help cook. “Well then, best be off, there’s food in the kitchen for lunch Shosuke.”

“Thanks Sensei! Enjoy yourself Haru-kun!”

“Well then, put on some shoes and meet me at the front door. Oh and put these in your room, best not to lose them.” She handed back his papers before waving around a new sheet. “I copied the list of required materials.”

* * *

 

##### London.

Harold turns away from the grotty looking pub and back to face Caitlin. “Why?” Caitlin shrugs.

“The basic idea is that Muggles can’t see it, and even if they can they won’t want to enter. It does however leave a bit of a poor impression on foreigners.” With a wave of her hand the pair enter and then hurry through. The man behind the bar barley glances at the pair and before any of the patrons had time to more than catch a glimpse they were out the back door and facing a stone brick wall. “Right then…”Caitlin taps a set of bricks and the wall folds in on itself. Harold was suddenly staring at a street that looked like something from a picture book.

“Good Afternoon.” Harold glances at a tall thin man who tilts his pointed hat at Caitlin and steps past them.

“Gringotts, ah, just a warning, the bank is run by goblins, not a very friendly race, but they are fair.” Harold’s eyes widen as they walk down the street towards the tall white building sat on an intersection. There are a pair of short, wrinkled beings standing guard on either side of the open doors.

Harold follows Alea up to a teller, Alea flashes a badge of sorts at the teller who quirks an eyebrow “Welcome to Gringotts.” The teller nods slightly to Alea. A passing man blinks at the Goblin before shaking his head stalking off. Muttering under his breath something Harold doesn’t catch.

“We would like to request a Heritage test, the fee will be payed by the school if nothing is found.”

“Well then.” The goblin teller waves over a younger looking goblin from the wall. “Runrock will lead you to one of our consultation offices.”

“Thank you teller.” Alea nods and laying a hand on Harold’s shoulder draws him to follow Runrock out of the fowyer. Runrock leads the pair through long white corridors before reaching a heavy wooden door. Knocking he the waves them in before turning on his heal and leaving.

Caitlin opened the door and steps through, holding the door for Harold before letting it fall closed. “Business?” Harold glances up to see a goblin perched behind a desk.

“Inheritance test.” Caitlin barks back.

The goblin pulls a shallow bowl from bellow his desk and places it in the centre, between piles of scrolls and paper files.  “If the child could be brought forward.” Alea leads Harold to the desk. Th goblin holds out a knife.

With a sigh Alea blows on the knife. The blade glows red for a second before returning to dull silver. Though the colour seemed clearer than it had. “Harold, could I have your hand?” Harold holds out the requested appendage and freezes when the knife is brought to touch his skin. “This will sting a little, like a paper cut.” Alea drags the knife across the tip of Harold’s finger before bringing his hand over the bowl. She squeezes the cut slightly and forces a few drops of blood from the wound. Soon Harold is distracted from the physical sensation when the bowl begins to glow. The goblin reaches across the desk and pulls out a scroll which is quickly dunked into the quickly filling bowl.

When the glow fades and the liquid is sucked into the scroll the goblin waves towards the scroll. Alea picks it up and passes it to Harold. With a nod from the Fae woman he unrolls it.

 _Harold Hyperion Potter_  
_Father - James Iacobus Potter_  
_Mother - Lilly Julia Potter neé Evans_  
_God Father – Sirius Black III_  
_God Mother – Alice Longbottom neé Fortescue*_  
_Grandfather – Fleamont Potter_  
_Grandmother – Euphemia Potter_  
_Accounts* at Gringotts Bank_  
_Gryffindor - Inactive_  
_Properties;_  
_Hogwarts Castle - occupied; permanent loan to Hogwarts Castle of Witchcraft and Wizardry_  
_Griffin Manor - Unoccupied_  
_Businesses_  
_Ollivandrer_ _’s Wand Store - 15%_  
_Daily Profit - 10%_  
_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - 25%_  
_Vaults_  
_House Vault - Keys; Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, +10 000G/yr., Value; 80 604G 72s 92k_  
_Family Vault - +50 000G/yr., -10 200G/yr., Value; 1 746 389G 16s 4k_  
_Heir Vault - +200G G/yr., Value; 9 600G 5s 7k_  
_Peverell - Inactive_  
_Vaults_  
_Family Vault - Value; 0G 9s 4k_  
_Heir Vault - Value; 10 000G 7s 12k_  
_Fleamont - Inactive_  
_Properties_  
_Fleamont Forest - Unoccupied_  
_Fleamont Manor - Unoccupied_  
_Businesses_  
_Ollivandrer’s Wand Store - 5%_  
_Fleamont’s Fine Furniture - 20%_  
_Vaults_  
_Family Vault - +12 000G/yr., Value; 9 832 400G 0s 2k_  
_Black - Active_  
_Properties_  
_Black Manor - Unoccupied_  
_Black Keep - Unoccupied_  
_Noir Chateau - Unoccupied_  
_Black Townhouse - Unoccupied_  
_Black Villa - Unoccupied_  
_Businesses_  
_Madam Malkin’s - 15%_  
_Daily Profit - 10%_  
_Fortescue’s Ice Cream - 10%_  
_Honeydukes - 15%_  
_Borgin and Burkes - 20%_  
_Vaults_  
_House Vault - +20 000 000 G/yr., -15 870 000 G/yr., Value; 90 073 124G 87s 42k_  
_Malfoy Dowry Vault - Keys; Narcissa Malfoy nee Black, +50 000 G/yr., Value; 80 000G 82s 21k_  
_Lestrange Dowry Vault - Keys; Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, +50 000 G/yr., Value; 5 000 120G 6s 12k_  
_Heir Vault - +1 000 000 G/yr., Value; 3 200 000g 0s 4k_  
_Potter - Inactive_  
_Properties_  
_Godric’s Hollow Cottage  - Seized as Landmark by British Ministry Of Magic (1981)_  
_Potter Manor - Unoccupied_  
_Marauder’s Den - Unoccupied_  
_Businesses_  
_Zonko’s Joke Products - 15%_  
_Daily Profit - 10%_  
_Sleekeasy Hair Potions - 45%_  
_St Mongo’s - 15%_  
_Eyelops Owl Emporium - 12%_  
_Madam Primperrelle’s - 5%_  
_Slug and Jigger’s - 15%_  
_Vaults_  
_Family Vault - +200 000 G/yr., -10 200 G/yr., Value; 70 024 800g 82s 12k_  
_Heir Vault - +500 G/yr., Value; 150 026G 35s 18k_  
_Trust Vault - Keys; Albus Dumbledore, +200 G/yr., Value; 2 200G 0s 0k_

 

Harold hands the scroll to Alea. “What does this mean?”

Alea took the scroll and scanned the elegant script. “Well, you won’t have any money problems any time soon. The school’s guardian scholarship still applies however you won’t have to deal with a financial scholarship as well.” Alea turns to the goblin behind the desk. “Are you qualified to handle Ancient Vaults or will we have to find an account manager?” The goblin grins.

“I am Senior Account Manager Sandrock.” Alea blinks but hands the scroll over.

“I would assume he has access to the trust or heir vaults for school supplies?”  The Sandrock nods.

“The Potter Heir Vault is open to any claimant who can prove their claim, this is so far the only provable claim. The Black and Peverell Vaults are currently in a period of holding, if a Claim is not made by the listed heir or their own heirs in the next decade then they will pass to the next in line, in this case Mr. Potter would be eligible to claim the Peverell Vault. The Gryffindor Vault has a set of criteria not currently met by Mr. Potter before it can be claimed.”

“So he can claim Potter and Fleamont.” Sandrock nods and passes the scroll back to Harold. “Harold?”

Harold stares at the scroll with wide eyes. “I don’t…”

“Right then, we will claim the Fleamont Vaults, best to not stir up trouble until you know what you want to do with yourself.” Sandrock nods.

“There would be less hassle all round that way, the business need no real work, not that the family retains a controlling interest. The properties are fine as they are, the Manor is under a unpotable ward and is maintained by a service hired by… Fleamont Potter in 1976 a few years before his death, the forest is leased to the Ollivander family for their use harvesting from both the trees and the Unicorn herd that live there.” Caitlin nods and draws Harold to her side.

“What is there to do?” The goblin passes over a file.

“Paperwork, only one signature with a blood quill, half a dozen with normal ink.” Caitlin sighs and pull the file towards Harold.

“Can you write your name?” Harold frowns.

“Sort off, I don’t think I know how to spell Hype…” he glances down at the scroll in his hands.

“Hyperion, I will write it down for you above the line you have to sign.” Harold smile.

“Thanks.”

After ten minutes or so going through the file and signing his name on the dotted line he his handed a key ring.

“This holds the key to the vault, the key to the manor and a key to the sub vault.” Sandrock points to a small ornate skeleton key, then a slightly larger, plainer key before pointing to a small key much like the one for the padlock on the Dursley’s shed.

“Sub vault?” Harold fiddles with the three keys.

“Inside the family vault, it contains any family artefacts that require specific conditions, I think the Fleamonts stored their more valuable books here rather than at the Family Manor.” 

Harold nods and turns to Caitlin. “How does this work?”

“The Vault and the money within it are yours, the school supplies food, lodging and all of your required textbooks, the texts are copied from the originals held by the school library. You will need to purchase a set of uniforms, though we will not collect them here, and the equipment for your classes. There are a few recommended books and such that can be found in the library, they can be borrowed for a small fee charged from your school account.”

“School account?”

“The school provides a small fund for each student, it is spent with the library purchasing books and subject guides, or excess stationary. Some students need additional copies of their texts.” Harold nods.

“So how much will I need?”

“Well, I think buying some new clothes may be a good idea, having some change to purchase sweets or such from the cafeteria.” Harold brightens.

“Could I interest you in an allowance pouch?” Caitlin turns to Sandrock.

“And how much would that cost?”

“10 galleons to set up and a maintenance fee of 2 galleons a year. The maximum allowance is 20 galleons a week.”

“I think 2G a week would be more reasonable for an eight year old.” Harold watches with wide eyes as Caitlin signs a scroll and a pouch appears on the desk. “We will add a galleon a year I think, though this will be something you will control after your third year.” Harold frowns at her. “As a fourth year you gain control of your finances for school, as a seventh year you gain full independence from the school and you become an adult here in Brittan at 17, at the end of your eight year.” Harold nods and takes the pouch.

“There is a starting balance of 50G in the pouch, it should cover any uniform costs…” Caitlin nods and Sandrock waves for them to stand. “I believe that concludes our business. “The Potter Vaults will remain sealed until your seventeenth birthday or you arrive here to claim them.” Harold nods and follows Caitlin from the room. The door slams closed behind them and a goblin appears at Caitlin’s elbow. The pair follow the being to the entry and nod to him before stepping up to a teller.

“We will not need to do any shopping here.” Caitlin turns to Harold. “I think it best to convert a few Galleons into pounds so that we can shop a little in London before we return to the Cottage. You will be able to do your school shopping tomorrow. Ten should be enough.” Harold is surprised when he is given just under £50. The pair are quickly walking back out of the ally and into the pub where Caitlin nods to the bar keep before leading Harold back into London.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * So Alice has no listed maiden name. Prewitt, and Prewet have been suggested and there was one good argument for McMillian, however given Prewet is Molly’s maiden name and there is a McMillian in Hufflepuff who doesn’t seem to interact with I just went with Fortescue.
> 
> * Right, Gryffindor was added for reasons that will be disclosed later, I know its not cannon, this is a fanfiction. Peverell and Black are added because these are the vaults he has SOME claim to, not the ones that are his alone or even that he has immediate access to. Fleamont was his great grandmother’s family in cannon, she was the last of her family and named her son, Harry’s grandfather, Fleamont Potter. The reasons there is so much in the Potter vaults are logical reasonings, the Potter’s are an old family not included in the Sacred 28 because the head of the family at the time disagreed with the author of the list who excluded them on the grounds that Potter is a muggle name, they were portioners, a Potter is actually credited with the invention of Sleek-Easy, and most of the family was killed off by Grindelwald when he was searching for the Invisibility Cloak. So the vault would contain the remainder of the material wealth of a family more than 600 years old given the first Potter, the Potterer, was around in the 12th century and left a sizable fortune to his six children. One of these married the granddaughter of the youngest Peverell, who inherited her grandfather’s cloak and given he left it to his eldest son, probably a large bride price if not most of his own fortune given he must not have had sons. Okay, rant over.
> 
> If you want to see the time table I worked out I will post a bunch of world building stuff and put a link in the end notes of one of the chapters.


	4. Huigin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unedited, sorry. My last exam is on Tuesday and I will spend the week after working on this and Fae child so expect to see more then.

## A Shopping Trip - 1/8/1988

Melbourne

Harold stared at the street in front of him. Like in London the magical shopping district in Melbourne was, at least aesthetically, older than the mundane neighbourhood the entrance stood in. However Yarra Bend, named after the park the district had been hidden in, was larger. The district in London contained only a few alleyways. The district here, the largest in Australia, was large enough to contain not only the four streets and connecting alleyways but a museum, gallery and theatre. The Huigin group had a sign, sat on the steps of the theatre they drew curious looks from passing shoppers.

Harold had been left with the group by Caitlin who had wondered of into a bookstore. She had introduced him to the Imposing Professor Saturio, who’s name had been at the bottom of his invitation. Shosuke had been absorbed by a group of older teens, all carrying shopping bags. According to the teen the students were encouraged to descend on the shops today, allowing for a excess to be provided for them.

Over the years a system had been introduced. Students from older years spent the morning drifting between the stores, gathering the supplies they needed, first years were sent out in groups by the Saturio. Lists were passed to shop keepers who listed the options, usually pre-packed, to the students who made their choice on the grounds of price and personal preference. The system allowed for those students with a scholarship to be given the mid-range products, and the shop keepers to easily claim the fees owed to them by the school.

Harold had been surprised to see many of the same things here as he had seen the one time Petunia had taken him to a farmers market. The ally to his left was made up of market stalls, selling fresh produce, preserves and jams, eggs, cheeses, baked goods, meat, seeds and herbs. To his right were open fronted canvas tents, selling spices, rope, fabric and grains. In front of him were restaurants, he could see signs in English, Italian, the same characters Shosuke used, and ones only subtly different, strange letters looking vaguely like squiggles, Greek, French, and what he thought was Russian.

Not only were the stores widely varied but the people too. Saturio himself was a sight to behold, with large white wings, speckled with grey shifted and rustled in the wind, the angle was taller than even Seóras who was taller than anyone Harold had ever met. Skins every colour imaginable, including one man who was blue. The dress styles ranged from the same modern looks he was used to, the old fashioned robes he had seen in Diagon, to things he had seen in history and geography text books like the toga Saturio was wearing.

“Hi, my names Namrut.” Harold turn to find an hand the colour of almonds being held at his shoulder level.

“Harold.” He had to take a step back to shake hands with the much taller boy.

“I was wondering what path you were in.” Namrut smiles, flashing sharp white teeth.

“Blood.” The smile grows, eyes a pale pink almost sparkle in delight.

“Same. So your from England? What’s it like?”

“Currently, warmer and wetter.” Namrut laughs.

“I am from Egypt where it is much warmer and dryer still.” He waved a hand at the darkening sky. “Though I do not think it will remain dry here.”

“Huh.” Harold stared at the clouds. “That was fast.”

“My cousins say Melbourne has four seasons in a day.” A new hand was held between the two boys. “Kyria, Warrior Path, Greece.” Namrut took the girls hand and smiled.

“And what is the weather in Greece like?” A smaller girl stepped out from behind Kyria. He hair seemed to move on its own under a head scarf.

“Hotter than England, more mild than Egypt.” A small bronzed hand was held out. “Murria, Green Magic.” Harold shakes her hand, glad to find someone smaller than he was. “Stuffy”, “Dark”, “Hungry”, “Sleepy”, “Quite!”.

“What?” Harold stares at Murria’s head.

“You can speak?” Harold blinks.

“Of course.” Namrut groans.

“Lucky. Do you have any idea how many poisonous snakes there are in Australia?”

“What?” Harold turns to the other boy.

“You can speak Parsletongue.” Harold frowns slightly.

“How?” Murria shrugs.

“No one knows, but a few of the most prominent healers in history could.”

“Wow.” Harold grins.

“Oh, right, I’m Gorgon.” Murria leans back slightly.

“I’m a Vampire.” Numrut just grins.

“Human.” Harold glances at Kyria.

“Human, Amazon.”

“Could I have your attention!” The four look over at Saturio. “If you could gather into groups of ten I will hand out the scholarship slips and point you to a vendor, you will move on the next marked vendor to your left once you are finished. There will be student mentors on the street corners pointing you in the correct direction.” A raised eyebrow was directed at the group of older teens Shosuke had joined and they scattered. “You have two hours to shop and return here, we will begin the Campus tours half an hour after that. Any shopping you wish to send with your parents will have to be passed along then. Those of you returning home will be returned here by 6 this evening.” He glanced at the gathered adults who slipped among the group of nine year olds.

A group of six sidled up next to the four children. Three girls and three boys they were a mix, none seemed to know each other well. Namrut held his hand out to the group as a whole.

“Hi, I’m Namrut, Harold and I are from the Blood Magic path, Kyria here is from the Warrior path and Murria is following the Green path.” The tallest of the girls held out her own hand.

“Sigrid, Warrior.” She waves her hand to the other two girls, having let go of Namruts. “These are Ida, Political, and Matsuo, Crafting.” The other blond nodded first, then the red head.

“Kemes, also political.” The shortest of the boys nods to Ida. “Teitzi is also Crafting and Tulukcruk is from the Elemental Path.” The darker or the two other boys nods first.

Saturio appears beside them, passing out slips that look much like Petunia’s coupons. Five other children get the slips, though Harold is the only one to get two piles. Ida frowns at the smaller boy but leaves it be for now. Saturio points them to a stall selling robes among the tents of The Bazar.

The group moves slowly, Sigrid and Kyria were deep into a conversation on historical female warriors. Namrut had been chatting about the history of blood magic to Harold and anyone else that would listen, Ida had refuted several of the vampires points, before being dragged into a debate with Kemes. Murria had spent the walk hissing a quiet conversation with Harold.

“Why didn’t you know you could speak parsle?” Murria watches the street with wide eyes.

“I have never met a snake I guess.” Harold shrugs.

 “But lizards and Dragons will speak parsle too.”

“I lived in Mundane Britain, there are no lizards or dragons for me to meet.”

“Oh, how did you get into Huigin? They generally don’t invite Mundane born.”

“My parents were magical, my mum family were mundane and I grew up with them.” Murria looks away and they walk in silence for a minute.

“Well parsle has been around as long as there were snakes with magic, or at least magic that could interact with snakes.” She glances at Namrut. “Vampires are supposed to have come from a different plane, or well the magic that made the first human vampire did. Most magical races come from the interaction of magic and humans or humans playing around with magic they don’t understand. Gorgons, well you know the story of Medusa?”

“The woman who was attracted in a temple and punished for it?” Murria looks surprised.

“Most people don’t remember that she was attacked, well as far as anyone can tell Medusa and her sisters were cursed and their children inherited a few of their traits.”

“The turning people to stone?” Murria laughs.

“No, we can do that with Parslemagic, but not by looking at someone.” Harold watches her for a moment.

“What else can Parslemagic do?”

“Healing, there is a lot of healing spells and rituals, there are some rituals that have to be done with snakes, a few people have used it to kill, and I know of at least one who used Parsle to do things that no one will talk about.” Murria glances at Kyria. “The Amazons were almost wiped out by a plague that was sent by a Parsemouth, they survived because another came to help.” Murria shrugs. Namrut turns back to Harold.

“Why did you choose blood magic?” Harold blushes slightly.

“I wanted to be a doctor, there was a bit about healing in the Blood magic section of the flyer.” Namrut nod.

“What about you?” Kyria is raising an eyebrow at the vampire.

“My uncle uses blood magic, so does my grandfather. Every generation someone in the family studies it, but I’m the first studying it at Huigin.” Harold glances at the shop in front of them.

“Where here.” The group slips into the tent.

“Huigin first years, right then hand over you scholarship vouchers and find an assistant.” Harold passes one of each of the vouchers from his pile. The shop keeper nods to him. “Well then, you head over to Jules, she’ll get you sorted.”

Following the mans instructions he ends up at the mirror next to Ida. “Why do you have two scholarships?” The girl is frowning.

“My family handed guardianship over to the academy, and the other is Academic.” Ida winces.

“Oh, I have an Academic scholarship too.” The assistants interrupt the conversation.

Once their all handed their brown paper bags they step back into the street, Shosuke waves from the end of the street. Harold leads the group over.

“Hey Haru-kun…” Matsuo lights up slightly “your lot are heading that way.” He points to a tent a little further down. “They sell the protective gear you all need for Herbology, Potions, Magizoology and stuff.” Matsuo steps forwards and starts chattering in what Harold thinks is Japanese. “Ah, Matsuo-san, we can talk later.” With a bow the girl turns and leads them on. Harold jogs a little to catch up.

“Hey, I’m Harold, Shosuke-sempai’s my mentor.” Matsuo nods.

“I am Matsuo, what classes are you taking?” Harold purses his lips slightly.

“Um, well focus creation, and both of the History classes, Ancient and Magical Languages. We both have to do the Herbology and Magizoology for three years right?” Matsuo turns towards Harold.

“Yes, we both take Rituals and Runes as well.” Harold grins.

“Cool, if you’re going to spend time with Shosuke-sempai I guess we might become friends?” Matsuo turns pink.

“I suppose.”

Namrut steps up beside Harold. “Hey, I’m taking the other language option, and only one of the history classes, why are you taking both?” The last word emphasised

“My history teacher at Primary said that we have to learn from the mistakes of the past or be doomed to repeat them.” Harold shrugs. “He was my favourite teacher, he let me hide in his office at lunch sometimes.” Matsuo tilts her head.

“I have heard that from somewhere, but I am only taking Modern History.” She shudders. “I had to learn Ancient History as a child, it is very boring.” Namrut laughs.

“Same, did you have to read…” he leans forwards, “The Record?” Matsuo almost recoils. “I see you did.” He nods and turns to Harold. “You will learn of the horror soon childe, and you will come to thank us for the warning.” Matsuo bursts into laughter.

The group enters the store to as the last of the chuckles that had spread through the group at Harold’s continued queries about this Record had distracted the others from their own conversation.

* * *

 

## Huigin - 2/8/1988

The tours that taken most of the afternoon had started at the dorms, they were all shown there rooms and told to drop of what they had brought with them. They had then split up into slightly larger groups depending on the dorm they were in. Namrut, Harold and Teitzi were the only two of the group they had shopped with in their dorms, Teitzi had been drawn into conversation with another first year leaving Harold and Namrut to walk together. The pair had stayed together the whole trip.

When the tour finished Namrut had joined the other students going home for the night. They would be back the evening after next.

Shosuke had tracked down Matsuo after dinner and then dragged both her and Harold to the library. The pair had spent the two hours before bed trying to help Harold improve his ability to speak Huigin, Matsuo having a much easier time with the pronunciation than the English speaking monolingual Harold. Shosuke had waved over a group of other seventh years. Introducing Marshal, a dorm mate in the Blood path, and Jacob, who was a devoted fan of Seóras and enrolled in the Creation path. Jacob had almost kidnaped Matsuo in an attempt to convert her into Seóras’ fan club but had been dissuaded by the librarian. The stern woman had shoed them away from her domain and back to their dorms.

Shosuke had walked Harold to his room before making him promise to wait for Marshal and his mentored student before leaving for the Food Hall.

This is what lead Harold to be standing with Shosuke in the front hall of the dorm.

Harold blinks as Teitzi follows Marshal into the hall. The other boy waves and Harold grins back.

“Well you know each other then, damn it.” Shosuke pouts at Marshal.

“We were in the same shopping group.” Marshal laughs as Shosuke throws himself onto a couch behind them.

“Stop being so dramatic bird-brain.” Teitzi raises an eyebrow and glances at Harold who rolls his eyes. “Well then,  as introductions don’t seem to be needed we can head to the food hall.” While he groans the entire way Shosuke is the first into the Food Hall.

“So, Teitzi, as I told Haru-kun, Marshal, I and a group of our friends are all student Mentors this year, well all seventh years are student mentors, but anyway, we were thinking about starting a study group for our cute little kōhai.” He ruffles Harold’s hair. “So what do you think?”

Teitzi glances at Harold. “I am not sure if I am taking any of the same subjects as Harold.” Marshal nods.

“Well I think you have to take the same Herology, Runic, Ritual and Theory classes, and depending on what Language and History classes you both take you might share those as well.” Teitzi hums.

 “I elected to take both of the history classes and magical and non-magical languages.”

“Non-magical languages is an option?” Harold glances at Shosuke but Marshal answers.

“Yes, but for Blood magic you will need Magical Languages, and some of the Ancient Languages or Latin, so they don’t encourage that you take it.” Harold nods and focuses on his meal. There had been a wide range of foods on offer, Shosuke had encoarged him to try something new so he had taken the same pastries that Marshal had picked. They were sweeter than he was used to, but the cold meats Marshal had dropped on his plate were nice.

“So we share many classes. A study group may be of value then.” Teitzi glances at Harold. “You are taking History?”

“Yeah, I’m taking both as well.” Teitzi nods and turns back to his own food, both he and Shosuke had taken some sort of smoked fish, though he had added bread and fruit rather than the rice and soup Shosuke had taken.

“What Paths are your other friends in?” Marshal smiles at Harold.

“Well Asher in enrolled in the Green Magic path, Josiah the Elemental, Gabrial is in the Politics, Fhad the Academic, and Jacob who you met last night is in the Creation path.” Teitzi pushes his plate away and goes to stand.

“I have want to go to the library.” Marshal nods and waves the boy off.

“You remember the way?” Harold is frowning slightly.

“Yes.” Teitzi walks off and Marshal smiles at Harold.

“Don’t worry about him, his people are fiercely independent. He’ll adjust.” Harold nods but keeps frowning.

“Oh.” Shosuke glances at Marshal.

“You wanted to tell Haru-kun something.” Marshal freezes.

“Ah, right.” The teen turns to Harold and glares slightly. “Every year, a Blood Magic student ends up dead, almost always a first year who did something stupid and got themselves killed. Shosuke would hate it if it were you.” He straitens and starts staking the groups empty plates. “Your lot have Alasdair as a tutor this year, happens every three years so we missed out but just as a warning, his the best in the world, he basically brought Blood Magic into this dimension, but his also the harshest.” Marshal glances at Shosuke. “He will teach you to be the best, so long as you have the drive to get there.” The teen stands. “I have an assignment to look over.” With a slight bow to the two still sitting he leaves, dropping the plates of on his way out.

* * *

 

## Dorm Rules - 4/8/1988

Harold skidded into the room Teitzi and Namrut a moment behind him. Their mentors collectively raised their eyebrows and grinned at each other.  Marshal raised his eyebrows and a handful of coins are passed between the group. Namrut's mentor turned out to be Shosuke's friend Asher, an blond, french vampire. 

"Well what do you know, right on time." The first years all scowled and sat next to the older students, the woman who had been directing them when they had first arrived waved her hand for silence. When a group of overly excited boys in a corner continues chatting she flicked a finger at them. The silent yells the group resorted to when they realised they could no longer hear each other sent a wave of chuckles through the room.

"Now that you are all listening, I am you Dorm Supervisor. I am UN charge of making sure you don't die in your sleep, well at least not because of somebody other than yourself if you poison yourself in class I am not responsible. If you die of natural causes your mentor will’ve the one on the stand, they are responsible for making sure you remain healthy, if they inform myself and the healing staff however they will likely walk away from the incident without a problem. First Rules. No alcohol in your rooms, that's what the common space is for. If you smoke then do it outside if you do so in your rooms you will set of the fire security wards, that will leave you rather waterlogged. Any adult encounters are your business and must take place in your own private space. Any fooling around with anyone more than two years younger than you is not allowed under school policy. Note that your age will be judged by a human equivalent. Elves for example age at a rate on 1-100 so they will not be open to any encounters of a more private kind until past 1500, as they enter at the age of 1000 they are below the age of consent while attending. Fey however, while they age similarly enter at 1500 so are open to any consensual encounters they may wish for. Rape is not allowed here, if you are a victim or know of a victim report it, the school will pass all offenders on to the appropriate authorities and they will have their enrolment revoked. On that note your dorm is a safe space, another dorm or even once outside the door is not, we do not investigate assault or murder unless done inside the dorm of the victim. If you die outside they will find out how and report to the appropriate persons. No further action will be taken. This goes into play once classes start and lasts until they end. The breaks are under local law, do not break one, we are obliged to expel you. To wrap this up. Dorms have roll call at 20.00 then at 22.00. All students under the age of 14 are expected to turn up for the first all students under the age of 17 are expect at the second any student not at their roll call will be declared missing and if you are found to have insufficient reasoning more than twice you will be grounded to the dorm from 18.00 until breakfast with escorts to the meal hall and from it once you have eaten dinner.” A glare at a group of older students drew snickers from their year mates.

“You have a problem go to your mentor, if that problem is out of their purview they send you to me. If your mentor has finished their time here you will be given a new one until you finish your sixth year, after that you are responsible for solving issues on your own if you can. If you are a mentor and pass along stupid problems you will be put in charge of keeping the bathrooms clean for the next week. On that note, you are responsible for cleaning your own clothes, your mentors will show you how. I know that some of you will offer to clean for others in exchange for something, go for it, be aware reneging, or refusing payment or service once the other has come through will get you sent to the stables to help clean.” She let her gaze sweep the room. “Be aware that this is a multiracial institute, don’t screw up and get out of my sight.” With that she turned and left. Harold turned ad raised an eyebrow at Shosuke-sempai.

“Is she always so…?” He nods.

“That was mellow, she’s normally worse.”

* * *

 

## Blood Magic - 5/8/1988

Harold glanced around the classroom he had been directed to, they didn’t have classes this week but they had an introductory session with the other first years in the same path. He was early, so the fact that only six other people had arrived didn’t surprise him but he didn’t recognise any of the people here and Namrut and Kemal hadn’t arrived yet. With a sigh Harold joined the group standing around the desks and smiled. The group was made up to two girls and two boys, the girls were slim and pretty, the taller had long light blond hair and shockingly blue eyes, the other was grey eyed and had hair a few shades lighter than Harold’s own. The boys were both brunettes, both had short hair and had it not been for the differences in height and eye colour they would have looked like twins.

“Good Morning, I’m Harold, it’s nice to meet you all.” The group of four looked at him for a moment before the taller of the two girls stepped forward slightly.

“Rose-Marie, It’s a pleasure, you’re from England?” He held out his hand, bowing over hers once it had been offered he rose and smiled.

“Yes, I am.” He looked to the other three.

“Henri.” He shook the offered hand. “This is my cousin Lucas, also from Brittan.” Harry smiled at the shorter of the two cousins.

“Nymyra.” The last female of the group nodded in his direction. Harold just nodded back.

“What made you choose Blood magic?” Harold glanced around the group.

“It was what was offered.” Nymyra shrugged. Lucas through a grin in her direction.

“Same here, that and I didn’t want to go to Hogwarts, it’s so backwards.” He shivered.

“I wish to follow my mother.” Rose-Marie shrugged. “So I turned down Elemental.” Henri shrugged as well.

“I wanted to study Academic but I was offered this or Warrior.” A scowl. “I am not a…physical person.” Harry nodded.

“I want to study healing and this was the best of the three offered for that.” The group looked at him.

“You were offered three paths?” Lucas gaped at the smaller boy.

“Blood, Warrior and Creation.” He shrugged. “I want to heal so I chose Blood.” Rose-Marie was smiling slightly at him.

“I think that was a good choice, mature.” He grinned back at the blond.

One of the two other early arrivals wondered over. “I’m Muna, you want to heal?” Harold smiled at the girl, she had skin the colour of coffee and eyes the colour of tree bark. Her hair was looked like rich soil.

“Yeah, I always have.” She smiled slightly.

“I do too.” The last student in the room wondered over.

“Valna, I was only offered blood.” Valna was the tallest of the seven in the room, with hair paler than Rose-Marie and eyes like ice she was so pale she almost looked washed out.

Harold smiled at Muna and Valna. “Nice to meet you both.” He got a small smile from Muna and a raised eyebrow from Valna. He glanced to the door as it was opened once more and waved Namrut and Kemal over. “These are Namrut and Kemal, They’re on the same dorm room floor as I am.” Namrut Bowed and Kemal waved. “These are Muna, Valna, Rose-Marie, Nymyra, Lucas and Henri.” Each named student nodded or waved as Harold motioned to them. As Namrut and Kemal moved over to the group three more students entered. And Rose-Marie stepped forwards.

“Salut, I am Rose-Marie, these are Harold, Kemal, Namrut, Muna, Valna, Nymyra, Lucas and Henri.” The only boy of the three stepped forward.

“Joen, these lovely ladies are Poliia and Thyre.” The smaller of the two girls, Poliia, was tiny, had a long nose and dark eyes. Thyre was the same height as Joen and had the same colouring as Valna, but not her height. Three more students trailed into the room.

Joen took a turn introducing the group to Matlal, a boy with the same colouring as Muna but vastly different features, and Fermina, a girl who spoke with an Australian accent and had sky blue eyes, dirty blond hair and skin a shade darker. The last student to enter was the strangest, with the upper body of a girl and the lower of a snake Harry hissed an introduction to Thronea, getting a grateful grin and a hissed response before she introduced herself to the others.

As the group settled into to conversation a chime struck and a tall man walked into the room.

“I see you have all introduced yourselves. I am Professor Alasdair.” He waved at the desks and the class sat. “If we could go around, I want name, species and goal.” He pointed to Henri who was sat to one side.

“Henri Sharpe, Wizard, I want to be wise.” He got a nod and Alasdair looked to Lucas who was seated next to him.

“Lucas Abbot, Wizard, I want to be free.” The class went around one by one.

“Rose-Marie Chevotet, Vella, to follow in my Maman’s footsteps.”

“Nymyra, Succubus, to bring pride to my line.”

“Fermina Dugger, Witch, to be successful.”

“Valna, Valkyrie, to be strong.”

“Kemal Sentruk, Vampire, to bring power to my family.”

“Namrut, Vampire, to bring security to my Clan.”

“Harold Potter, Wizard, to heal others.”

“Muna, Shifter, to help others.”

“Thronea, Lamia, to be powerful.”

“Thyre Alvidoitter, Shifter, to help my family.”

“Poliia Pilus, Goblin, to bring wealth to my Clan.”

“Joen Snub, Wizard, to live well.”

“Matlal, Aztec, to be strong.”

Alasdair grinned. “Well then, as I said I am Alasdair, Elf, to get you all through the next three years and make you someone else’s problem. Now, This is an introductory session so onto the more administrative things.” He waved to the board and a list appeared. Harold let his eyes wander down the itemised plan for the next 12mnths.

“First, an introduction to what exactly Blood Magic is. That will take the first few hours, the faster we move through it the less homework I have to assign and take note, I hate marking it as much as you hate doing it.” He raised an eyebrow at the giggles he got in response. “Next, the compulsory classes and why you have to take them, following that is electives, what you can do and what is stupid.” Some of the class shifted. “You have to do nine classes for the first six years after that do whatever.” He waved a hand. “Lastly we have to work through what to expect from Hugin, the support networks available and who to go to for help of the personal or academic variety.” Another wave of his hand and the list disappeared replaced by a quote. “’No one thinks about how much blood it costs.’ Dante, Muggle writer you may or may not have heard of, but he is unimportant, what is important is that.” He points to the board. “Every piece of Magic has a cost, which can be paid by you, or by someone or something else. But there will be a cost. The beauty of blood magic is it has a visible, tangible cost. We can weigh the cost against the result, if we know the scale. That is what you will spend the next 12mnths learning. Who to weigh the scale.” He glanced around the room. “Blood holds more power than almost anything else. A ritual costing only a drop of blood would cost more than your weight in precious stones or metals.” He nods to Poliia. “A drop of your blood has more Magic than a lake of potions. But at the same time how we use that power, utilise it. A potion has an outcome, it works internally, guiding and using the Magic of the drinker to reach its intended effect. But it has very little Magic of its own. Our blood however holds power we cannot utilise, as we live and breathe our blood absorbs the magic that surrounds us. Even the blood of the non-Magical holds Magic, just not as much as any of us here.” A grim smile. “To take the blood of another to use well it has costs, blood is loyal, it can open itself to the ritual or pull away depending on how it was taken. Willingly given blood will always hold more power than that unwillingly taken.” He shrugged. “But if you are taking blood you just need more of it yes?”

Harold looked around the class, they all seemed taken with the idea of what he was speaking of. Namrut and Kemal were nodding along. Muna was frowning.

“We can use blood to destroy or create, to harm or protect, to heal or hurt, it is up to the individual. But using blood magic takes more than just knowledge, it takes exposure. You have all been exposed to Blood Magic at some point, it has filled your veins and now beats with your heart.” He waved a hand and the students glowed.

Harold glanced around the room, of his fourteen classmates there didn’t seem to be one colour or shade he saw twice. Namrut and Kemal were shades of red, Namrut a shade darker than the other Vampire. Rose-Marie was a bright burning orange, like looking at a fire and Nymyra glittered with lighter pink shades on a mauve backing. Lucas and Henri both had pale blue shades, though Henri’s flickered with notes of blue while Lucas’ faded into yellow. Valna and Thyre both glowed the lightest shades, only a tint of blue and brown respectively. Joen and Fermina were the dimmest dull shades of blue, Fermina a shade darker. Poliia glowed a slate grey, Muna shimmering like gold and Matlal let of flares of a red-orange light. Thronea’s scales looked like the ocean Harold had seen on the way here. A glance at his own hand had him flinching away. Silver and Emerald light too bright to look at. A glance at Alasdair showed a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

“As you can see, everyone has their own unique power level, the more intense the more exposure. Note the differences in colour. Blue, Green and Brown are all more natural shades, showing a neutral intent, reds and oranges, yellows to a lesser extent are more aggressive. Metallic shades are rare, high levels of exposure to the more passive protective blood magic’s are uncommon, gold shows a more aggressive ward than silver, greys sit between the natural and metallic, less rare, but still uncommon.” He nods to Namrut. “A darker shade of red shows more exposure to the more aggressive forms than the lighter.” A wave to Lucas. “That fading effect shows limited exposure to the aggressive form and constant low level exposure to the neutral.” Matlal got a smirk. “Again, irregular exposure.” Thronea was pointed to. “Long term low exposure.” A wave to Valna. “High intensity like that shows more powerful and more recent exposure.” A squint at Muna. “Most likely low level exposure to a more aggressive ward.” And finally an unnerving stare at Harold. “And the most interesting of the class, both neutral and protective warding, very high intensity and constant long term exposure.” A final wave and the glows died away. Alasdair turned away from the class.

“That showed the power of your blood at present, shading indicates polarity, the types of blood magic you have been exposed to the most. Offcourse this is only exposure, the area’s you will be best at may be in opposition to your current polarity. Oh one more thing before I move on. Power has its downsides, the more power flowing through you the less control you will have over that power, you over power anything and it’s more likely to blow up in your face.” Harold frowned and glanced over at the others in the class. A glance back at Alasdair had Harold settling in for a long lesson.

* * *

 

## A Check Up - 9/8/1988

Harold knocked on the door he had been directed to. The small clinic room on the ground floor of the Healing Hall was one of many and they all had people rushing in and out. A call had Harold opening the door and slipping into the room. Shutting the door behind him he blinked at the woman waving for him to sit on the cot in front of her. A deepening  scowl had him shutting the door and scampering over.

“Name.”

“Harold Potter.” He was gifted with a nod before she pulled out a crystal.

“Right, this holds a Diagnostic spell, wave it like so.” She ran the Crystal over his head a few times and it lit up. “And with a quick spell.” She waved from the Crystal to a piece of paper and a pen on a desk to the side of the room and the pen jumped into action. “While that does its thing anything to tell me?” She raised an eyebrow.

Harold tilted his head. The Healer rolled her eyes. “Pre-existing conditions, past injuries, allergies…” She let her voice trail of as Harold frowned. “Go on, start talking.” She flicked her fingers at the pen. “I’ll find out anyway.”

“Um, I hit my head a lot, and slept around some chemicals, oh there are a couple of burns from cooking and I had sunstroke once.” He let his legs swing. “The bone in my arm broke once, I was bitten by a dog and I fell from a tree.” He shrugged. “I can’t think of anything else.” She raised her eyebrows before they furrowed.

“Right, let’s have a… Still going.” Harold glanced at the pen which was still flitting across the page which had grown from the original A4 to the size of three. “Well, may as well do a few checks while we have the time.” She pulled a stethoscope from her pocket. “Pull up your shirt.” Harold did, turning slightly as he did. When the metal touched his skin he tensed expecting to feel the chill of the metal but the warmth of the object made him relax. “Magic, it is good for somethings, breath in deeply, good, out now.” She moved the disk across his back. “Again.” Harold Let air fill his lungs before emptying them again. “Well not as good as I would like but not bad. Cough often?” Harold shook his head.

“Only when it’s cold, the chill hurts.”

“Oversensitivity, nothing bad just be aware that you shouldn’t go out when it’s so cold that the pain only gets worse.” The pen settled with a clatter. “Right. Humph.” She glared at the page. “Right.” She pulled on a draw the rattled as it was opened. Pulling out a series of bottles she set them on the desk before pulling a box from the shelf to one side and setting the bottles inside. Next went a cardboard box that sounded like the ones containing Au…Mrs. Dursley’s Pills. Two more boxes of pills and a measuring cup and spoon. A page was pulled out and the pen set to scribble away as the Healer turned back to him.

“Your Malnourished, have a horse dander allergy and I need to reset a couple of bones in your wrists and ankles. Your eyesight has suffered from those blows to the head and this.” She pulled out a blue bottle with a liquid that tinted it purple. “Will fix that, you won’t need the glasses afterwards.” Harold grinned. “This…” A green bottle shaped like a leaf. “Is for the nutrient deficiency. This one…” Yellow and rather squat. “Is for your brittle bones. This…” Blue and tall. “Will help restore growth.” Harold’s grin returned. “You won’t ever be as tall as you could have been, but you will grow normally from now on, what was lost up till this point can’t be fixed.” He sighed but didn’t stop smiling. “This…” White and shaped like a skull. “Will fix any past broken bones. The tablets are for growth pains, your allergy and a sleeping pill. Take no more than what’s written on the packet, if they aren’t working come back. The letter contains doses and what not.” The paper was folded and added to the box. “I want you back every weekend for the next two months.”

Harold nods and stands. The Healer waves at the box which shrinks until it fits in his palm. “I’m Healer Thurric, ask for me if you need anything. Turn up at one on Saturday.”  With a final nod she released him and he scampered back to the room waiting room.


	5. Huigin

## August 11

## Classes Begin

Harold sat in the chair just outside of the light streaming in from the window. Namrut, who had followed him in to the class room sat in the shadows next to him. Teitzi raises a hand as he enters and Harold waves back. Matsuo and Tulukruk nod to Harold, Namrut and Teitzi as hey enter, Matsuo almost skipping over to Teitzi to sit in the seat beside him.

It was a Thursday and their first class was Ritual Magic. The class was full, people wearing the red of Blood magic, the blue of Elemental, the Yellow of Creation and the group of students in white that had taken over one of the front corners. Namrut had sneered at the group as they walked in so Harold turns to him.

“What path wears white?”

“Religion.” Harold blinks.

“Religion?” Namrut rolls his eyes but explains.

“The path is select entry, the placements are all sponsored by religious groups and leaders, there are only ten in each year and they all come from different groups.” The taller boy glares for a moment. “They have their own dorm, no one from another path can take their classes and they have a reputation for working poorly with other paths.” He glances up as Muna slumps into a seat to Harold’s left. “Morning.”

“Mmm…” Muna yawns and glances at the other two. “How are you awake yet?”

“I used to get up at six to make breakfast” Harold glances at Namrut “and he had a big breakfast.” The vampire in question bares his fangs at the two mortals. The door at the very front of the classroom slams open and the entire class glances at a tall pale man walks in.

“Alright, before we begin, I am Shakir, I will not be teaching this class for the remainder of semester however as I am the head of the department I do all of the introductory classes this week.” He trails his gaze across the class room. “There is a text book for every enrolled student on the table at the back of the room.” Harold looks over his shoulder and spots the mentioned piece of furniture over the shoulder of the boy behind him. “You will collect you text book as I read out your name, this is the name you will be addressed by for the remainder of the year, if you do not wish to be addressed by the name I read out you will be allowed to submit a preference to me at the end of class, or you teacher before your next class, changes after that will not be permitted.” He waves to the board at the front of the room and words start to scroll across it. “This is your theory class, you will have a practical class every week, this week the practical will be a theory class, you will cover ritual safety this week only. Any mistake made will mean you have to take a review class in your own time.” He pulls out a scroll and begins with the children in white. Harold tunes him out for a moment as he glances around the room.

The walls are covered in a mix of safety posters depicting some rather graphic injuries, maps, mathematical tables and a few diagrams. Lucas Abbot’s name is called and Harold tunes back into the professor. When his own name is called has to supress a small wince, his teaches all seem to use his full name and Hyperion is not something he really wants to be known by. The text books had been labelled with names. Grabbing his, the next one on the slowly diminishing pile second to the left, he almost stagers under the weight. He is suddenly very glad that his book bag was charmed weightless by the woman in the store.

When the last of the students taking the class as an elective had collected their texts, a much older boy who had towered over the child sitting next to him, Shakir pointed the first piece of text on the board. The lecture began with the history of rituals and the importance of studying, understanding and using runes was to the magical communities of many parts of the world. The lesson ended with a discussion of the laws and regulations restricting the use of rituals in parts of the world and how they effected the public opinion of ritual magic in general.

Slipping out of the class room the entire class were directed by an older student to head for a classroom on the other side of the building, one floor down. Doing so they were joined by large groups of other first years. Harold waved at the students he recognised. Murria had waved back and Kyria nodded.

The first years were all directed into a large theatre on the ground floor. Three teachers stood at a podium in the middle of the room. The students were directed to take a seat and they were all quickly filled. The oldest appearing of the three professors raises a hand for silence.

“If you could all direct your attention to my colleague.” The woman waves to the tallest of the three.

“Thank you, now you will not be attending your next class in this room, only the first theory class is held here. To start, if you could all look under your seats?” Harold and Namrut did so, under each chair was a piece of paper with a room number on it. Harold and Namrut had been assigned to different rooms. “This will be the classroom you are in for the remainder of the year. You will be assigned a partner in your next lesson and you will work with them for any group assignments. If you cannot work with your assigned partner you are to bring the matter to your professor and they will decide if you can swap into a different group. Now there is no one text book this semester, instead you will receive a hand out at the beginning of each class, this will include the homework for the next class. The first semester of this course is split into the three parts, each is taught by one of us.” He waves at the other two professors. “I teach the Mathematics portion, the other two are the Theory and Research portions. You will have one class with each of us a week.” He watches the room for a moment. “Some of you will be ahead of others in one area and behind in others. Those raised in the Mundane world will be ahead in the Mathematics and behind in Theory, those raised in a Magical community will be ahead in Theory and behind in Mathematics. You will be paired with some one from a different background to your own.” The other male professor steps forward.

“Right then, we study the theory of magic because…” Harold pulls out a pen and starts to copy the highlights of the following speech down. Just over an hour later they are let out early, told they have ten minutes before lunch and to find their classrooms now so as to not get lost the next day when they had heir next Theory class.

Muna steps into place on the opposite side of Namrut to Harold. “So which class are you in?” Harold passes over his sheet of paper and Namrut does the same. “So I’m with Namrut.” She passes the paper back. “Do you want to head upstairs?” Namrut nods and the pair hurry off.

“Hey!” Kyria and Murria make their way out of the crowd. “What room are you in?” Harold smiles slightly and passes his piece of paper over again. Matsuo appears out of nowhere and glances over Kyria’s shoulder.

“So Kyria and I are in the same class and your with Murria Harold.” Matsuo steps back and grins at Kyria who glares. “Their really splitting us all up.” Harold nods and holds out his hand for his paper back.

“Do you want to head to our classroom?” He watches Murria for a moment.

“ _Yeah, I want to head to lunch early.”_ With a wave to the now bickering Kyria and Matsuo they  weave their way through the crowd. Harold is suddenly glad he had friends in his year, outside of Namrut and possibly Muna who were in the same Path.

Harold had managed to spot Namrut and the others in the Food Hall before he sat down. Having spent their lunch discussing their next class the group trudged up to the same lecture hall they had started in for their first Theory class.

## August 30

Harold glanced over at his friends. He had had a bit of trouble saying that at first, unused to being able to apply the label. But now after a month at Huigin he had people he trusted not to turn their back the minute someone else came along. Namrut tosses his head a laughs as Kyria waves her hands around as she talks. Murria and Muna have their heads bowed over a text and Matsuo waves from the other side of the hall. Teitzi nods from his place next to the other shifter. Henry and Lucas were seated with Joen Snubb. The two cousins tended to keep to themselves outside of class but they would sit with the abrasive boy on occasion. Harold thought they might feel sorry for the other Human.

Namrut turns to him and glowers. “You agree with me right?” Harold puts his hands up and leans back.

“I am not getting involved in this again.” Kyria laughs.

## September 12

Harold leant over the book in front of him. “Muna, I still don’t get this bit, why would you use that formula and not this one?” Muna rolls her eyes and tilts her head back.

“You…” Murria hides a smile behind her hand.

“You remember the state of the first variable?” Harold nods. “That is what determines the formula used at this point in the equation, if you used that one then you would end up calculating the heat not the kinetic energy.” Harold let his head fall onto the table.

“Why didn’t someone say something about that, how was I supposed to know!”

“The units used in the formula?” Harold sits up and blinks at Muna before glancing back at the page open in fornt of him.

“Oh…” Murria and Muna laugh.

## October 31

Harold watches as the older students set up the massive bonfires on the beach. The older Herbology and Warrior students had taken to the forests and pulled out a summers worth of dead vegetation. The Midsummer festival apparently didn’t involve a fire so the Samhain bonfires were the biggest as a result. The school he had discovered, celebrated four events a year, Samhain was the first for new students, having missed Midsummer in July. The Solstice celebration in winter was the next one Harold would see, though most of the students and a fair few of the teachers went home over the holiday, the school held a banquet and bonfire the night of the solstice, the older students, and a small number of the younger, stayed up all night, watching for the dawn. The next was the spring equinox, more an excuse to muck around before exams than anything else.

A glance back at the older students caused Harold to smile. Shosuke and his friends were rolling around in the sand, though they seemed to be avoiding the carefully drawn patterns that Marshal had shown him around when he had first arrived. Now seated on one of the dunes that bordered the beach Harold smiles as he observes the darkening sky over the seemingly endless ocean. The first time Harold had seen the ocean that surrounded the Island he had been overwhelmed, now he enjoyed the peace that it represented. A moment away from the hustle of the school.

“What you looking at?” A glance over his shoulder revealed Namrut, Kyria and Matsuo.

“Nothing.” The three flop onto the ground next to him.

“Are you guys happy here?” Harold and the other two stared at Matsuo. “I just, it is very different from home.”

“Yeah, but all the same it’s kind of hard to think of home. Huigin is… there’s always something to do, something going on, I like that.” Kyria glances at the two boys.

Namrut leans back. “I like the weather, it’s nice. And the food is good, but there is so much work, always another work sheet, another chapter to read. It’s hard to keep up.”

Harold shrugs. “I like it more than where I was, but I don’t have much of a choice at this point. I stay or I go back and there isn’t a place back there anymore. I think I could be happy here.” Matsuo nods.

“I’m not so sure, but at the same time I want to be.” Kyria grins.

“Yeah, I want to be happy here, I want to do well.” Namrut surges to his feet.

“Well then, we had best work hard!” Harold, Kyria and Matsuo join him. Harold grins at the three. Happy is something he will have to get used to.

## December 10

Harold almost wants to laugh as he watches the other students in his theory of magic class shuffle into the exam hall. There was only a bit over a week of term left and they had already done many of their exams but this was one that no one seemed to be looking forwards to. Harold had discovered that once he understood the basic concept, applying the more complicated theories was easy, this had made the practice exam that the study group looked over almost annoyingly easy. Not that he was going to tell anyone that.

“How are you so calm?” Namrut whins as they step up to the board that held the seating assignments.

“I can do nothing more that I have already, there isn’t anything to stress over at this point.” Harold shrugs and spots his name. “See you when its over.” With a wave he starts his way across the room. This was his first exam with no older students. Even the history and language classes had a few who were talking the first year options as electives. As he sit Harold looks around for familiar faces, to his left are a few people he recognises from runes, one from herbology and the majority of his history class. To his right there aren’t more than a handful of seats, and most ore filled with the almost ghost like religious path students. Harold had let himself slip into the same mindset as the other students and mostly ignored the group. But now that he had spent a few months sitting in the same classroom as them he could identify them at least by their looks, if not their name. Kyria nudges his shoulder as she passes him to sit a few seats behind. Harold waves and turns his attention back to the other seats near him.

As he looks around he begins to notice a pattern. The students closest to him are those that he had come to know were also school wards. Kyria seems to be the first of the students that isn’t. Previously they had been seated in classes, but as the entire year were all taking the same class they would have to use a different order. It had surprised him at first, that there was even a handful of students that were wards of the school, but as the school tern progressed he had heard the older students talking about it. While Huigin accepted very few students from non-magical families even fewer actually took up the invitation, those that did were often the ones that either like him, had no one who wanted them,  or they had no one at all. Only a few of the students from magical families were in a similar position. A lower birth rate and smaller numbers meant that there were more people willing to take children in. But that still left at least half a dozen students in each year that were under the guardianship of the school.

Harold shook away his thoughts as the teachers stood up at the front of the room. He may not be as worried as his friends but he still wanted to do well.

## December 21

Harold stands with Muna as they watch the last group of students leave for the holidays. Namrut and the other first years had been part of the first group to leave, letting them and their parents clear from the collection point before the elder students started to arrive. Shosuke had left with one of the last groups, he had held  whispered conversation with Marcus before he said his goodbyes to the two first years staying behind. Or well the two first years he knew who weren’t going home for the holidays. Harold glances over at Marcus as the older boy approaches them.

“Since your both staying, and the others have already left, you should probably know how the holiday system works.” Muna frowns slightly. “Right, well there are a bunch of seminars and stuff that they run for anyone interested, there are review sessions for those that need them and some of the teaches run trial classes for students interested in taking a subject later. There will be a list of dates and stuff on the board in your dorm. Not much happens over the winter break, its only two weeks long, but I’m sure there will be something that catches your interest.” The older boy glances over his shoulder and waves at another upper years student. “I have to go, but if you need something then Harold knows which is my room, or just ask the dorm supervisor.” He turns and strides away. Harold glances at Muna.

“Well, Healer Thurric said something about an intensive session over the holidays…” Muna nods.

“And Séoras mentioned that the work room was open, so we could get a head start on the project for next semester.”

“Will you be here over the summer break?” Muna shakes her head.

“We don’t celebrate anything in Winter, and food can be a little tight so Mother said I should stay here, but I was told to come home over summer.”

“Oh, I was going to say I was thinking about taking some of the summer courses.” Muna smiles.

“I might, later, when I’m older.” Harold nods and waves towards the main part of campus. The port keys left from the beach.

“Want to head to the mess hall? It’s almost lunch time.” Muna smiles and starts walking. Harold holds back a moment and lets his smile fall. He had hoped she would be around over summer, having at least one friend that was staying would have been nice. Muna turned to face him and he stretches his mouth into a smile. “Coming.”

## January 4

Harold and Muna once more stood with a few other students as the port keys drop the first group of returning students on the beach. Namrut had apparently arrived early and was chatting away about seeing his uncles and aunts, all the food that had been served and how much he hadn’t realised he could miss the desert. Murria waves as she almost skips over to the growing group. The girls skin was a few shades lighter than it had been, some of the tan gained under the island sun lost once she had returned to Europe, Kyria stalks behind the other girl, her own skin a little darker, the summer sun of her own home having left its mark. Matsuo and Shosuke appear together, both call out greetings slurred slightly by accents regained over the break. Harold’s smile widens as the people he had come to call friends gather around him, for the moment happy to have been left at the school, at least he was here to great his friends as they returned. Teachers started to shoo them away from the beach, the crowds thickening a little too much for comfort as returning students gather into groups.

The small group of first years, Shosuke having been drawn away by his own friends and the other various mentors that had dropped in and then vanished again not hanging around, made their way towards the mess hall. Much like Harold and Muna had done alone, they now did so joined by their friends. Harold grins over at Muna. He was glad she had been around, but it was good to have more friends here too.

There was only so much time you could spend with only one other person after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter, yes, but not poorer....
> 
> I hope so at least.   
> Apologies for the lack of editing. I think I should probably get into the habit of doing more of it but reading my own writing is not the most comfortable of tasks. 
> 
> Thank you to every reader, every subscriber, every reviewer, and who ever added this to a collection!   
> I get the warm and fuzzies every time I see how many people have read this!


	6. Egypt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I have soo much going on and writing has fallen to the wayside as a result. This was supposed to be longer, but it's not going to get any longer any time soon.

Exams, holidays and Secret rooms

Harold had been stunned the first time he had walked into the exam hall in his first year. Now as he walked in at the end of his second he was unsurprised by the size of the space, nor the seating chart that sat next to the door. Quickly finding first the exam he was taking and then the individual seat he had been assigned he moves out of the way of the student behind him. Weaving through the seats, counting as he went he reflected on the last two years. Most of his first year had been spent in a blur of new faces, new ideas, new everything. Then as he became used to the school and his fellow students his mind had cleared.

Now able to think more clearly he had explored the vast Island grounds in his free time. Over the holidays, as his friends went home he slipped away from the older, watching eyes and into the forests, onto the beaches and along the cliffs. When the weather turned on him he took to the buildings instead. Old stone walls, locked doors and cold floorboards. The school had been built from the stone on the island, mostly volcanic and sandstone. Dark outer walls contrasted with the pale woods of the flooring. The dorms built from the paler sandstone stood out among the darker buildings. Large glass windows featured on the walls of the dining hall, only two stories tall it was the newest of the schools many buildings. The banquet hall that had stood in it’s place had burnt down. The interior held very few secrets, beyond the hidden stairs into the kitchens and the entrance to the tunnels that sat bellow the entire school.

Harold had first found the tunnels under the dorms. A part of the floor that sounded different as he walked over it, a trap door at the bottom of the stairs, just to one side of the door into the hall. Then the door hiding at the back of the second last shower, the one people avoided because of the draft no one could find the source of. There were more entrances in the dorms, ones he could see as he wondered behind them. But none of the many other doors opened from the inside. The only way out of the long tunnels, in the dorms, was the trapdoors under each staircase. Though there was a barrier of some kind keeping him from exploring the girls dorms he could only assume that the same was true there.

The Tunnels led under all of the school buildings, he had once run into Alasdair as he was wondering beneath the crafting halls. The teacher had raised an eyebrow and told Harold to come up to his rooms, after questioning the boy about where he had been exploring and cautioning him away from entering any room from tunnels unless he knew exactly where he was, Alasdair handed over a small charm. Placed in his pocket, and then on the necklace he had made in a metal working class, the charm acted as a location beacon. If he bled on the charm it would alert Alasdair to his location. Harold had used the charm only once, having become trapped under the ritual rooms when an older student had triggered the wards on the building by accident.

As he waits for the exam to be handed out Harold considers the plans he had for his holidays. He had been invited to spend some of the break with Namrut’s family in Egypt. Having learnt at least the basics of Egyptian from Namrut after his Ancient Languages class had covered the older form of the language he was more than prepared for a few weeks in the desert. He had been assured that the magical community in Egypt spoke a more modern verity of the ancient language, unlike the non-magical community who spoke Arabic. Namrut had explained that his family planned to take him to some of the ruins that had been hidden from view by magic, one’s the Mundane population would be kept from until the Magical community cleared the last traces of the wards, curses and artefacts that would reveal them to the world.

After visiting Namrut he was set to visit Murria in Greece. Modern Greek was something he spoke a little more of than Egyptian. He had been required to study the language more heavily given the breadth of ancient medical texts that used the language. And the use of the language in many of the medical spells he was learning. Murria had talked to he family about him learning more about parsle and the forms of magic it played a part in and they had at least allowed him to join the family for a few weeks of lessons to see if it was worth investing more time and effort into extending his education. When he left Greece he was set to return to Huigin by way of a quick stop over in London with Caitlyn to visit Gringotts. He would spend the rest of the holidays studying what he had learnt on his trips before the academic year resumed.

As the Paper was set in front of him and he waited for the administrators to indicate they could start he thought over the last term. Having spent a year here already, the first semester of his second year had been much more intense. As they moved into the second semester the course structure had slacked only a little. He was now more than halfway through the Magizoology, Herbology and Crafting courses he was required to take and they had just finished their first independent focus crafting. As the number of books on his shelf grew he was amazed by what he was learning.

Though, at times the sheer volume of knowledge he was required to remember made him pause he had found that the way the professors approached each subject to be engaging. Rather than just expecting them to learn from one source they were expected to read the assigned text, listen to the lecture, do the research project they were given for each unit in each class and the time in each class to ask any questions they might have. The length of each class meant that there was time for every student to spend a few uninterrupted minuets with the teacher, and given that not every student need the help in each class they got through a mountain of material every semester.

Harold brings his thoughts back into the present as the officiator turns over the hour glass for the first time. The bell like tone of the charmed alarm ringing the start of the exam.

Egypt

Harold bends his knees as he lands. Letting the joints do their task, before standing to admire the Egyptian portkey hub. The old sandstone building stood at one end of one of the many bazaars that scattered the hidden magical city. Namrut’s brother had an arm held out to steady the two boys, but after a detailed class on the mechanics of portkeys and the yearly trips to the Markets in Melbourne Harold was now able to stay standing when he landed. The tall, darkly tanned Vampire was not what Harold had been expecting when he was dragged over to him by Namrut when they arrived at the international portkey hub with the other Huigin students. Lucas and Henri, who had caught the portkey, waved before heading of to a large gathering of blonds. Including a young girl around the same age as the other second years. Kyria and Murria had both caught earlier portkeys, though Murria made sure to describe where he would find her and her mother later in the month.

Namrut’s brother Karim had been waiting for them near the entrance to the bay their next portkey was set to leave from. Karim was not Namrut’s eldest brother, his parents being well into their fourth century of life, and in their second century of marriage, Namrut was, by far, one of the youngest in his family. Karim was in fact one of the younger, being only 45, not that he looked it. Namrut had explained that many of his older siblings were independent, only those less than a century lived in the family compound. Karim had explained that the family was so large because their parents had the money to keep sending children away to boarding school, as such each time a child left for school, a new baby was to be expected within a few years. Namrut had whined when Karim had mentioned that their parents were not yet expecting, grumbling that he already had a younger sister and he didn’t want more little siblings. Karim laughed and leaned down to whisper to Harold.

“They don’t want more children, sixteen is enough.” Harold had blinked and nodded. Fourteen sounded like more than enough. 

The Bazaar shifts in front of him as Harold follows Namrut down from the portkey hub and onto the street.

The sounds and smells were more intense than the cleaner bazaar in Melbourne, however the words being shouted at passers by were not much different and the dress of the people they passed just as varied.

Harold let his eyes wonder, spotting things that clearly define the bazaar as magical and things that could have been found in any market around the world. It wasn’t just the produce and the garb of the people moving through the bazaar that was a little stranger than Harold was used to. The people them selves were much more varied than the people in the Melbourne bazaar, or even Huigin.  Namrut turns and waves to a few people as they walk. Some call greetings back, others just nodding or waving in reply. One of the stall holders tosses a small bag of sweets to the young vampire, who tosses a coin back as they walk past. The stall holder grins, showing missing teeth, and laughs as Namrut stuffs the first sweet in his mouth. The other boy holds one out to Harold.

“They’re made from barley, they don’t taste like much.” Harold takes one and then laughs as Karim plucks the bag from Namruts hands.

“Don’t eat more than one for now, most of the family is coming for dinner.” Harold slows a little as he processes that the sixteen children, Namrut’s parents and other family will all be there. “Should be only about twenty of us, but Mother is still planning a feast.” Namrut sucks harder on his lolly. Harold places his own in his mouth and waits for the sugar to start dissolving on his tongue. The flavour was sweet, but subtle. Harold found he liked them.  He let the sweet dissolve as the walked, Namrut smiling, happy to be home and Karim glances back every few steps.

Karim watches the small human boy his brother had befriended. Mother had sat down and talked to him before he left to pick the boys up. He was to watch for signs of abuse, look out for Harold, watch how he interacted with Namrut and report back. Harold had flinched away when people got to close, but not with Namrut, and he was small enough Karim wondered if he was really the same age as Namrut. Karim would watch over the child, but he doubted Harold needed to be wrapped in cotton or shut away, the boy was quite in the way of Karim’s oldest siblings, the ones that had seen things he hadn’t, the ones that had fought and lost in ways he hadn’t. Harold was not broken, scared, physically, emotionally, mentally. But not broken.  

 

* * *

 

Harold watches as Namrut’s family laugh, sprawled around the room on low coaches. He had been welcomed, and then treated as if he was one of them. Rather than asking questions about him, they asked about his school work, his friends. They had been almost unbelievably kind.

Now as Harold sat and watched he began to realise that family wasn’t just what the Dursleys had shown him. Donkor flops down next to him and smiles. “So, got any good stories about Namrut yet?” Harold tilts his head.

“What would be a good story?”

Donkor laughs. “Anything he wouldn’t want you to tell.”

“Then why would I tell it?”

“Because you shouldn’t keep secrets from family.” A glance over his shoulder shows Abasi leaning on the wall behind them.

“What would count?” Harold glances over at Namrut, who had been dragged off by his sisters to talk earlier in the evening.

“Oh, well, any detentions? What about if he got lost?” Harold grins.

“Well there was one time…” Abasi drapes himself across the coach, grinning up at Harold and Donkor.

“Oh do tell.” Abasi almost purrs. Donkor laughs and waves over Bakari as Harold starts his tale.

**Author's Note:**

> This is being written in a bit of an odd order, chapters will be updated as they are written but if I get caught up writing something ten chapters ahead and haven't finished the next in chronological order, then it will be left unposted until I get to it.  
> I apologise for this but this is how this is being written.


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